Scientists from Oregon State University found that COVID-19 patients had a roughly 25% increased risk of developing a psychiatric disorder in the four months following their infection.
The research is published in World Psychiatry and was conducted by Lauren Chan et al.
In the study, the team used data from the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) to match 46,610 COVID-19 positive individuals with control patients who were diagnosed with a different respiratory tract infection.
The team looked at the rate of psychiatric diagnoses for two time periods: from 21 to 120 days after patients’ COVID diagnosis, and from 120 to 365 days after diagnosis, limited to patients with no previous mental illness.
They found that COVID patients had a 3.8% rate of developing a psychiatric disorder compared with 3.0% for other respiratory tract infections. The 0.8% difference amounts to about a 25% increased relative risk.
They looked specifically at anxiety disorders and mood disorders and found a minor but significant increase in risk for anxiety disorders and no change in risk for mood disorders.
The large sample size and the fact that this data cohort draws from across the U.S. gave researchers a unique window into post-COVID side effects.
The results speak to the need for both patients and health care providers to be more proactive when it comes to addressing mental health concerns following COVID infection.
The team says in the larger context of COVID and health care in the U.S., any increase in the amount of people seeking care, especially psychiatric care, will add further strain to a system that is already stretched to maximum capacity.
If you care about COVID, please read studies about drug that could inhibit COVID-19 virus, and aspirin, common anti-inflammatory drugs may prevent COVID-19 deaths.
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