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More than half of adults infected with COVID-19 show symptoms of depression, new study finds
- Researchers interviewed 3,904 people who had been infected with COVID-19 in the past but had 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 having some fun in life
- Younger people were more likely to be depressed than older adults, and men were more likely than women to have symptoms
- 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 previously been infected with COVID-19 show symptoms of depression, a new study suggests.
The researchers found that 54.2% of patients who recovered from their illness met criteria for “moderate or greater symptoms of major depression.”
Many have reported difficulty sleeping or concentrating, loss of appetite, feeling tired, or having some fun in life.
The team, led by Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University, also found that people who reported their coronavirus case was severe were five times more likely to have symptoms related to depression.
A new study found that out of 3,904 people who had been infected with COVID-19 in the past but had since recovered 54.2% met 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: Health workers use CPAP machine on COVID-19 patient at Providence St Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley, Calif., January 2021
For the study, published in JAMA Network Open, the team looked at data from eight waves of surveys conducted between June 2020 and January 2021.
Respondents were reduced to 3,904 people who said they had been infected with COVID-19 in the past but had since recovered.
They were asked to rate the severity of their illness and whether they had any persistent symptoms since testing negative.
All participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire – 9 (PHQ-9), which is a diagnostic instrument used to diagnose mood disorders such as depression.
Patients are asked about their mood or behavior over the past two weeks, including whether they had “ little interest or pleasure in doing things ” or if they “ felt depressed, depressed or desperate. ”
People completing the questionnaire can choose one of the following options: “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 with a score of 10 or more are considered to be moderately or severely depressed.
Of the participants, 2,046, or 52.4 percent, scored high enough to be considered to have symptoms of major depression.
Researchers found that younger people were more likely to be depressed than older adults, with the risk of symptoms increasing by 24% each decade.
Women who had COVID-19 were about 28% less likely to have depressive symptoms than men.
Additionally, people with severe COVID were five times more likely to report symptoms of depression.
Those who suffered from headaches while infected were 33% more likely to be depressed afterward, the researchers found.
There was no association between other specific symptoms of Covid, such as loss of taste and smell, and the risk of depression.
“Our findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting the importance of considering the potential neuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID-19 infection,” the authors wrote.
“ Our results also suggest the importance of considering strategies that may mitigate the high risk of depressive symptoms after acute infection. ”
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