A new study has revealed that people with COVID-19 for seven days or more had higher rates of depression and anxiety than those who were infected but never went to bed. This report was published in ‘The Lancet’ Public Health. Research findings suggest that patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection who were hospitalized showed symptoms of depression for 16 months.
Symptoms lessened quickly in those not admitted to hospital
In infected patients who did not have to be hospitalized, the symptoms of depression and anxiety mostly subsided within two months. Those who stayed in bed for seven days or more were 50 to 60% more likely to have depression and anxiety by 16 months. The quick recovery of physical symptoms from coronavirus may partly explain why mental health symptoms decrease at a similar rate to those with mild infections. However, severe patients often experience inflammation, which has been linked to mental health effects, particularly depression.
Higher rates of depression and anxiety were observed
Ingibjorg Magnusdottir of the University of Iceland reported that high rates of depression and anxiety were seen in corona patients who stayed in bed for seven days or more. To learn about the long-term mental health effects, researchers studied people who had recovered from coronavirus for 16 months, who showed symptoms of depression, anxiety and poor sleep quality. These figures came after studying seven groups of 2,47,249 people in Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the UK.
Not the same effect on all patients
University Professor Unnur Anna Valdimarsdottir said this research suggests that the mental health impact is not the same for all COVID-19 patients. He said the time spent in bed is an important factor in determining the severity of the effects on mental health.