Psychology Today: Long-Term Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19
"Long-term sequelae of COVID-19 have become a public health concern. Nevertheless, there are limited data addressing the prevalence, characteristics, and duration of symptoms that persist after recovery from the acute phase of COVID-19. A recent systematic review, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry by Na Zeng and colleagues, provides important information about this topic. These investigators searched the literature for studies examining recovery from COVID-19 that were published before September 30, 2021. They identified 151 studies that met specific criteria and combined those data utilizing meta-analytic techniques. The analyses involved data from over 1.2 million individuals from 32 countries.
The study team found that the most common long-term consequences of COVID-19 involve the respiratory system. Over 25 percent of patients experienced subjective (self-reported) respiratory symptoms during the year after remission of acute COVID-19. Over 45 percent had abnormal pulmonary function tests. Fatigue was the next most common consequence, with more than 28 percent experiencing this symptom during the year following infection.
Both psychiatric and neurological sequelae were common during the year following remission of an acute infection. About 20 percent of individuals developed psychiatric sequelae, and almost 19 percent developed neurological sequelae. With respect to psychiatric symptoms, over 18 percent of individuals had depression, almost 18 percent had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and over 16 percent had anxiety. In addition, more than 13 percent experienced a sleep disorder. With respect to neurological symptoms, over 19 percent of individuals demonstrated cognitive symptoms, and more than 17 percent had memory changes. About 15 percent lost their sense of taste and/or smell. Furthermore, over 12 percent noted concentration difficulties and over 11 percent headaches.
The authors investigated the duration of symptoms and reported the prevalence of symptoms during the first three months, 3-6 months, and 6-12 months following acute infections. Anxiety and depression were present in 12-15 percent of individuals at 6-12 months, and cognitive and/or memory deficits were present in over 20 percent at that time. Loss of taste or smell was noted in about 17 percent of individuals 6-12 months after acute infection. Symptoms of PTSD decreased by two-thirds over time, with about 7.4 percent being symptomatic 6-12 months after remission of acute infection.
By combining information from over 150 studies, these investigators provide important analyses demonstrating that COVID-19 is associated with substantial mental and physical consequences during the year following acute infection. Such consequences influence the lives of a large number of individuals as well as society as a whole."
*It's really hard to see how many people have been impacted by COVID-19, both mentally and physically. This pandemic has really caused a spike in mental health issues and I can understand why. It's been stressful to deal with transitioning to working from home, worrying about getting infected, and not being able to socialize like we normally do. I hope as things settle down, everyone begins to heal and recover. I want everyone to know that the community here at 7 Cups is always here for you! Anytime you want to chat about anything, there is a Listener for you!*
How has COVID-19 impacted you, physically and mentally?
#COVID-19 #MentalHealth #Pandemic
@fruityPond7887
This is the first article that I have read about the mental consequences of Covid. It was very interesting to read. It would not occur to me that Covid could cause illnesses like PTSD, among others. I thought this disorder can only occur when faced with life-threatening situations, or abuse, but perhaps this might develop in the vulnerable group of people with serious Covid symptoms.
When I had Covid, I did not experience any mental consequences, only physical. The most significant was the physical exhaustion I felt.
@globalBraid3744 I am glad to hear that you did not face any mental health consequences with Covid! I think maybe the PTSD could come when people may be struggling financially or maybe they lose a family member or loved one to Covid. I was asymptomatic with Covid, so I definitely struggled most with the isolation. It was hard to be alone for 4 days until I was negative!
@fruityPond7887
You are right! How is it that I have not thought of people facing with loss of their loved ones? This can be traumatizing and too difficult to deal with.
I get that some people can struggle a lot with isolation during covid; I am glad that for you it did not last very long, and you recovered in 4 days
@globalBraid3744 No it's totally okay! There are so many facets to Covid that we can forget the whole picture sometimes! ❤️ Thank you for your kind words!
@fruityPond7887
Indeed, Covid is more than just meets the eye. When the pandemic started, our lector told us not to stress over it and that it is only the flu. Only later it was found that it is not as simple as flu despite some overlap. Person can quite easily overlook some connection when not being in that situation.
@globalBraid3744 Oh yeah. It was scary how fast it spread and how quickly everything shut down. It was scary I think mostly because it was nothing we've ever seen before. I do sometimes think that maybe there was a little too much mass hysteria, but we also had to balance that and not being safe enough. It was hard back then because we had no idea what we were dealing with.
@fruityPond7887
What's interesting is working in the healthcare field right now has made me realize how far-reaching the COVID virus and the pandemic had to our health. We're learning that COVID may effect seemingly unrelated things such as hearing, vision and etc. There's definitely the possibility of mental effects as well especially as we're in a quarantine/isolation setting.
@sunnyWriting4806 That's so true! It's sad we don't know the effects of this virus and honestly, we won't know everything about it until years down the line. I hope you are staying safe and thank you for all your dedication! 💛
