More than HALF adults infected with COVID-19 have symptoms of depression
- Researchers surveyed 3,904 individuals who were previously infected with COVID-19 but have since recovered
- Of the total, 2046 patients, or 54.2%, met criteria they considered to be symptoms of depression
- Many reported having difficulty sleeping or concentrating, loss of appetite, fatigue or lack of pleasure in life.
- Younger people were more likely to be depressed than older adults and men had more symptoms than women
- People who said their cases of COVID were severe were five times more likely to report symptoms of depression
More than half of American adults previously infected with COVID-19 have symptoms of depression, a new study indicates.
Researchers found that 54.2 percent of patients who recovered from their illness met the criteria for ‘moderate or greater symptoms of major depression’.
Many reported that they had problems with sleep or concentration, loss of appetite, fatigue or little pleasure in life.
The team, led by Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University, also found that people who reported their coronavirus case seriously were five times more likely to have depressive-related symptoms.
A new study found that 3904 individuals who were previously infected with COVID-19 but have since recovered 54.2% meet criteria they consider to be symptoms of depression (above)
People who said their cases of COVID were severe were five times more likely to report symptoms of depression. Pictured: Health workers 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 JAMA Network Open, the team looked at data from eight wave surveys 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 since recovered.
They were asked to determine how serious their disease was and whether they had persistent symptoms since they were tested negative.
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 over the past two weeks, including whether they ‘had little interest or pleasure in doing things’ or were ‘depressed, depressed, or hopeless’.
Those who complete the survey can choose one of the following ‘not at all’, ‘single days’, ‘more than half the days’ or ‘almost every day’, which is achieved from zero to three.
On a scale of zero to 27, people who score 10 or more are considered moderately or severely depressed.
Of the participants, 2,046, or 52.4 percent, scored high enough to be considered symptoms of major depression.
Researchers have found that younger people are more likely to be depressed than older adults, with the risk of symptoms rising by 24 percent with each passing decade.
Women who had COVID-19 were about 28 percent less likely to have depressive symptoms compared to men.
In addition, people who had severe COVID were five times more likely to report symptoms of depression.
Those who experienced headaches while infected were then more than 33 percent depressed, the researchers found.
There was no association between other specified Covid symptoms, such as loss of taste and smell, and the risk of depression.
“Our results contribute to a growing body of evidence suggesting that it is important to consider potential neuropsychiatric consequences of COVID-19 infection,” the authors wrote.
“Our results also indicate the importance of considering strategies that can reduce the increased risk of depressive symptoms following acute infection.”
