More than HALF of adults infected with COVID-19 show symptoms of depression, a new study concluded
- The researchers interviewed 3,904 individuals who had been infected with COVID-19 in the past, but have since recovered
- Of the total, 2,046 patients, or 54.2%, met criteria that considered them to have symptoms of depression
- Many reported difficulty sleeping or concentrating, loss of appetite, feeling tired or finding little pleasure in life
- Younger people were more likely to be depressed than older adults and men were more likely to have symptoms than women
- People who said their COVID cases were severe were five times more likely to report symptoms of depression
More than half of American adults who have been infected with COVID-19 have symptoms of depression, a new study suggests.
The researchers found that 54.2% of patients who recovered from the disease met the criteria for ‘moderate or greater symptoms of severe depression’.
Many reported difficulty sleeping or concentrating, loss of appetite, feeling tired or finding little pleasure in life.
The team, led by Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University, also found that people who reported that their coronavirus case was severe were five times more likely to experience symptoms related to depression.
A new study found that of 3,904 individuals who had been infected with COVID-19 in the past, but who have since recovered 54.2%, met the criteria that considered them to have symptoms of depression (above)
People who said their COVID cases were severe were five times more likely to report symptoms of depression. Pictured: Healthcare professionals use a CPAP machine on a COVID-19 patient at Providence St Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley, California, January 2021
For the study, published in the JAMA Network Open, the team analyzed data from eight waves of research conducted between June 2020 and January 2021.
Respondents were reduced to 3,904 individuals who said they had been infected with COVID-19 in the past, but have now recovered.
They were asked to rate how severe their illness was and whether they had any persistent symptoms since the negative test.
All participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire – 9 (PHQ-9), which is a diagnostic tool used to diagnose mood disorders, such as depression.
Patients are asked about their mood or behavior in the past two weeks, including whether they had ‘little interest or pleasure in doing things’ or whether they ‘felt down, depressed or hopeless’.
Those who complete the survey can choose one of the following ‘not at all’, ‘several days’, ‘more than half the days’ or ‘almost every day’, which are scored from zero to three.
On a scale of zero to 27, people who scored 10 or more are considered moderate or severely depressed.
Of the participants, 2,046, or 52.4 percent, scored high enough to be considered to have symptoms of major depression.
The researchers found that younger people were more likely to be depressed than older adults, with the risk of symptoms increasing 24% every decade.
Women who had COVID-19 were about 28 percent less likely to have depressive symptoms compared to men.
In addition, people who suffered severe COVID were five times more likely to report symptoms of depression.
Those who experienced headaches while infected were 33 percent more likely to be depressed later, the researchers found.
There was no association between other specified Covid symptoms, such as loss of taste and smell, and risk of depression.
“Our results add to a growing body of evidence that suggests the importance of considering the potential neuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID-19 infection,” wrote the authors.
“Our results also suggest the importance of considering strategies that can mitigate the increased risk of depressive symptoms after acute infection.”
