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A new study suggests that a significant number of patients with COVID-19 suffered from mental illnesses soon after their diagnosis.
- Illnesses include anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.
- Severe psychotic disorders were not as common.
The new research – published in The Lancet Psychiatry Journal – found that 20% of observed COVID-19 patients had psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety within 90 days of their diagnosis.
- The researchers looked at data from 69 million people. Only 62,354 of these patients had COVID-19.
- The researchers wanted to see if patients with COVID-19 were more or less likely to suffer from mental health complications.
The study found that those who had COVID-19 were at high risk for anxiety, insomnia and dementia after illness compared to those who suffered from the flu or other respiratory illnesses, according to The Hill.
Key quote:
- “COVID-19 survivors appear to be at increased risk for psychiatric sequelae, and a psychiatric diagnosis may be an independent risk factor for COVID-19,” the authors wrote, according to The Hill.
Mental health issues on the rise:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently surveyed 10,000 Americans about mental health during the pandemic.
- The study found that depression and anxiety increased sharply between March and June.
- Young people have also been hit hard. About 11% of all respondents said they had “seriously considered suicide” in the early days of the pandemic. That number was almost double (about 1 in 4) for teens, according to NPR.
- In September, experts expressed concern about a potential increase in anxiety and depression in adolescents due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, as I wrote for Deseret News.
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