More than half show symptoms of major depressive disorder after COVID-19

More than half of people with pre-COVID-19 illness met criteria for symptoms of major depressive disorder, according to a research letter posted online March 12 at JAMA network open.

Roy H. Perlis, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues examined whether acute symptoms of COVID-19 are associated with the likelihood of subsequent depressive symptoms. Data was included for 3,904 people who reported pre-COVID-19 illness and were asked about specific symptoms and overall perceived severity of illness between June 2020 and January 2021, at an average of 4.2 months since the first symptoms. Participants also completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for symptoms of depression.

Researchers found that 52.4% of participants met criteria for symptoms of major depressive disorder. The presence of headache was associated with an increased likelihood of moderate or greater depressive symptoms in fully fitted models (adjusted odds ratio, 1.33), as was greater overall severity (somewhat or not at all severe: ratio adjusted odds, 2.59; all serious: adjusted odds ratio, 5.08). Compared with men, women were less likely to have symptoms (adjusted odds ratio, 0.72), and with age, a decrease in the likelihood of symptoms was observed (decade adjusted odds ratio, 0 , 76).

“Our findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting the importance of considering the potential neuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID-19 infection,” the authors write. “Our results also suggest the importance of considering strategies that might alleviate the high risk of depressive symptoms after acute infection.”

One author has revealed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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