Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.
As the #COVID-19 #pandemic stretches into its third year, countless people have experienced varying degrees of uncertainty, #isolation and #mentalhealthchallenges.
However, those who have had #COVID-19 have a significantly higher chance of experiencing #mentalhealthproblems, according to researchers at #WashingtonUniversity School of Medicine in St. Louis and the #VeteransAffairs St. Louis Health Care System. Such disorders include #anxiety, #depression, and #suicideideation, as well as opioid use disorder, illicit #drug and #alcohol use disorders, and disturbances in sleep and cognition.
In a large, comprehensive study of #mentalhealth outcomes in people with SARS-CoV-2 infections, researchers found that such disorders arose within a year after recovery from the #virus in people who had serious as well as mild infections.
Overall, the study found that people who had #COVID-19 were 60% more likely to suffer from #mentalhealthproblems than those who were not infected, leading to an increased use of prescription medication to treat such problems and increased risks of substance use disorders including opioids and nonopioids such as #alcohol and illicit #drugs.
The findings are published Feb. 16 in the journal The BMJ.
We know from previous studies and personal experiences that the immense challenges of the past two years of the #pandemic have had a profound effect on our collective #mentalhealth. But while we’ve all suffered during the #pandemic, people who have had #COVID-19 fare far worse mentally. We need to acknowledge this reality and address these conditions now before they balloon into a much larger #mentalhealthcrisis.”
Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, senior author, clinical epidemiologist, #WashingtonUniversity
More than 403 million people globally and 77 million in the U.S. have been infected with the #virus since the #pandemic started.
“To put this in perspective, #COVID-19 infections likely have contributed to more than 14.8 million new cases of #mentalhealthdisorders worldwide and 2.8 million in the U.S.,” Al-Aly said, referring to data from the study. “Our calculations do not account for the untold number of people, likely in the millions, who suffer in silence due to #mentalhealth #stigma or a lack of resources or support. Further, we expect the problem to grow because cases seem to be increasing over time. Frankly, the scope of this #mentalhealthcrisis is jarring, frightful and sad.
“Our goal was to provide a comprehensive analysis that will help improve our understanding of the long-term risk of #mentalhealthdisorders in people with #COVID-19 and guide their post-infection health care,” added Al-Aly, who treats #patients within the VA St. Louis Health Care System. “To date, studies on #COVID-19 and #mentalhealth have been limited by a maximum of six months of follow-up data and by a narrow selection of #mentalhealth outcomes -; for example, examining #depression and #anxiety but not substance use disorders.”
The researchers analyzed de-identified medical records in a database maintained by the U.S. Department of #VeteransAffairs, the nation’s largest integrated health-care delivery system. The researchers created a controlled dataset that included health information of 153,848 #adults who had tested positive for #COVID-19 sometime from March 1, 2020, through Jan. 15, 2021, and who had survived the first 30 days of the disease. Few people in the study were vaccinated prior to developing #COVID-19, as vaccines were not yet widely available at the time of enrollment.
Statistical modeling was used to compare #mentalhealth outcomes in the #COVID-19 dataset with two other groups of people not infected with the virus: a control group of more than 5.6 million #patients who did not have #COVID-19 during the same time frame; and a control group of more than 5.8 million people who were #patients from March 2018 through January 2019, well before the #pandemic began.
The majority of study participants were older white #males. However, because of its large size, the study included more than 1.3 million #females, more than 2.1 million #Black participants, and large numbers of people of various ages.
Compared with those in the control groups without any infections, people who contracted #COVID-19 were 35% more likely to suffer from #anxietydisorders and nearly 40% more likely to experience #depression or #stress-related disorders that can affect #behavior and emotions. This coincided with a 55% increase in the use of antidepressants and a 65% growth in the use of benzodiazepines to treat anxiety.
Similarly, people who had recovered from #COVID-19 were 41% more likely to have #sleepdisorders and 80% more likely to experience neurocognitive decline. The latter refers to forgetfulness, confusion, a lack of focus, and other impairments commonly known together as brain fog.
More worrisome, compared with people without #COVID-19, those infected with the #virus were 34% more likely to develop opioid use disorders and 20% more likely to develop nonopioid substance use disorders involving #alcohol or illegal #drugs. They were also 46% more likely to have #suicidalthoughts.
“People need to know that if they have had #COVID-19 and are struggling mentally, they’re not alone, and they should seek help immediately and without shame,” Al-Aly said. “It’s critical that we recognize this now, diagnose it and address it before the opioid crisis snowballs and we start losing more people to #suicide.
“There needs to be greater recognition of these issues by governments, public and private health insurance providers, and health systems to ensure that we offer people equitable access to resources for diagnosis and treatment,” he added.
To better understand whether the increased risk of #mentalhealthdisorders is specific to SARS-CoV-2 virus, the researchers also compared the #COVID-19 #patients with 72,207 flu #patients, including 11,924 who were hospitalized, from October 2017 through February 2020. Again, the risk was significantly higher -; 27% and 45% -; in those who had mild and serious #COVID-19 infections, respectively.
“My hope is that this dispels the notion that #COVID-19 is like the flu,” Al-Aly said. “It’s so much more serious.”
#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book,
Celebrating Your Gift of Life:
From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
Because hospital stays can precipitate #anxiety, #depression and other #mentalconditions, the researchers compared people who were hospitalized for #COVID-19 during the first 30 days of the infection to those hospitalized for any other cause. #Mentalhealthdisorders were 86% more likely in people hospitalized for #COVID-19.
“Our findings suggest a specific link between SARS-Co-V-2 and #mentalhealthdisorders,” Al-Aly continued. “We’re not certain why this is, but one of the leading hypotheses is that the #virus can enter the brain and disturb cellular and neuron pathways, leading to #mentalhealthdisorders.
“What I’m absolutely certain about is that urgent attention is needed to identify and treat #COVID-19 survivors with #mentalhealthdisorders,” he said.
Source:
#WashingtonUniversity in St. Louis
Journal reference:
Xie, Y., et al. (2022) Risks of #MentalHealth Outcomes in People with #COVID-19. BMJ. doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-068993.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
[email protected]
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at [email protected] and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
