Coronavirus survivors at higher risk of mental illness, study finds
- Lancet report found 20 per cent of those infected with the coronavirus are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder within 90 days
- The study analysed electronic health records of 69 million people in the United States, including more than 62,000 cases of Covid-19
Anxiety, depression and insomnia were most common among recovered Covid-19 patients in the study who developed mental health problems, and the researchers also found significantly higher risks of dementia, a brain impairment condition.
“People have been worried that Covid-19 survivors will be at greater risk of mental health problems, and our findings … show this to be likely,” said Paul Harrison, a professor of psychiatry at Britain’s Oxford University.
Doctors and scientists around the world urgently need to investigate the causes and identify new treatments for mental illness after Covid-19, Harrison said.
“[Health] services need to be ready to provide care, especially since our results are likely to be underestimates [of the number of psychiatric patients],” he added.
The study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal, analysed electronic health records of 69 million people in the United States, including more than 62,000 cases of Covid-19.
