Getting the coronavirus vaccine provides an obvious and significant health benefit: it protects you from serious illness or death if you come in contact with the virus.
This, in itself, is amazing. But new research released Wednesday points to another surprising advantage of making up your sleeves that shouldn’t be ruled out: people who get vaccinated can experience significant improvements in their mental health.
In the study, published in the journal PLoS One, researchers tracked people who received a first dose of any coronavirus vaccine between December 2020 and March 2021.
They found that those who had received a shot were less likely to show signs of mild or severe depression than those who had not been vaccinated, including those who intended to be vaccinated but had not yet been able to.
And given that mental health is as important as physical health, it’s another reason for everyone eligible to get vaccinated.
How the pandemic has harmed people’s mental health
National surveys conducted at various points during the last 18 months of the pandemic have pointed to a worrying increase in mental health problems, often coinciding with cases of overload.
In the summer of 2020, for example, approximately 4 out of 10 American adults indicated that they had problems with mental health or substance abuse. This exceeds approximately 1 in 10 adults before the pandemic.
And experts have warned since the pandemic began that it added to the chronic stress of millions of Americans who were already disadvantaged before COVID, calling it a “national crisis.”
“As was the case before the pandemic, adults in poor general health (which can reflect both physical and mental health) continue to report higher rates of anxiety and / or depression than adults in good general health,” she reported. a February Kaiser Family Foundation report warned.
Why vaccination can help
Of course, there are many reasons why mental health problems have been on the rise during the pandemic, from the widespread loss of jobs to loneliness.
And the new study may not say exactly why people who roll up their sleeves seem to experience an increase in mental health, but its authors say it’s probably a combination of factors.
Vaccinated people may be less concerned about becoming infected. Researchers may write that they could be more socially active or try new job opportunities. Previous studies show that isolation has been a major factor in people’s mental health during the pandemic, which is one of the reasons medical groups have struggled to get children back into the classroom this fall. , for example.
The new findings do not in any way suggest that vaccination is a panacea, or that getting more people to roll up their sleeves will provide millions of Americans with the mental health support they need. The study authors write that their findings should be understood simply as the “short-term direct effects of obtaining a first dose of vaccine.”
However, they point out that the overall effect of vaccination on mental health may actually be greater than the study was able to capture, as it could also be extended to unvaccinated people. People who are not vaccinated may feel less afraid and worry that loved ones will get sick or dying and may benefit from the social and economic opportunities that widespread vaccination offers, the authors write.
Which proves once again that vaccination is not just about your own health; it’s about improving health outcomes for all of us.
Experts are still learning about COVID-19. The information in this story is what was known or available from the publication, but orientations may change as scientists find out more about the virus. Consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most up-to-date recommendations.