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Researchers say that COVID-19 survivors may be at higher risk of developing mental health problems than other people. That information comes from a large study published earlier this week.
The study found that 20 percent of those infected with the new coronavirus are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder within 90 days.
Researchers from Britain’s Oxford University studied recovered COVID-19 patients who developed mental health problems. They found that the most common problems were anxiety, depression and insomnia: the inability to sleep. They also noted a much higher risk of dementia, a condition that weakens the brain.
Paul Harrison, a professor of psychiatry at Oxford, is one of the researchers. He told Reuters news agency: “People have been concerned that survivors of COVID-19 are at increased risk for mental health problems, and our findings … show this is likely.
Harrison urged doctors and scientists around the world to urgently investigate the causes of mental conditions after COVID-19. And he wants them to find new treatments for the disease.
Health services must be ready to provide care, Harrison warned. This is especially true, he said, because the study’s estimates are likely low.
The Oxford researchers analyzed the electronic medical records of 69 million people in the United States. This number included more than 62,000 COVID-19 cases. The researchers said the findings are likely to be the same for those infected with COVID-19 around the world.
In the three months following a positive As a result of the COVID-19 test, one in five survivors said they had experienced a first-time diagnosis of anxiety, depression or insomnia. The researchers said that COVID-19 survivors were twice as likely to be diagnosed with these conditions as other groups of patients in the same three-month period.
The study also found that people with a pre-existing mental condition were 65 percent more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 than those without.
A report on the study appeared in The Lancet Psychiatry diary.
Mental health specialists not directly involved in the study said their findings add to growing evidence that COVID-19 affects the brain. They said the disease can also increase the risk of many psychiatric disorders.
“This is probably due to a combination of psychological factors stressors associated with this particular pandemic and the physical effects of the disease, ”noted Michael Bloomfield. He is a psychiatrist at University College London.
The fact that people with mental health disorders are at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 confirms similar findings in other infectious diseases sproutsSimon Wessely said. He is Professor of Psychiatry at King’s College London.
“COVID-19 affects the central nervous system,” Wessely said, “and therefore could directly increase” other disorders. But he added that the study confirms that more is happening. The risk, he said, is increased by pre-existing health conditions.
Marjorie Wallace is the head of the mental health support group SANE. He said the study resembles his organization’s experience during the coronavirus health crisis.
Wallace said SANE’s hotline is dealing with a growing number of first-time callers who have mental health issues. Others are recidivist, he said, because his fear and anxiety have become unbearable.
I am Anna Matteo.
Kate Kelland’s report reported this story for the Reuters news agency. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in this story
to diagnose – v. recognize a disease, ailment, etc., in (someone)
psychiatry – n. a branch of medicine that deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders psychiatric – adj.
anxiety – n. fear or nervousness about what might happen
dementia – n. a generally progressive condition (such as Alzheimer’s disease) marked by the development of multiple cognitive deficits (such as memory impairment, aphasia, and an inability to plan and initiate complex behavior)
positive – adj. good or useful
diary – n. a periodical publication that deals especially with current affairs
stressful – n. a stimulus that causes stress
outbreak – n. a sudden increase in the incidence of a disease
relapse – n. the return of a disease after a period of improvement
