People who have had Covid-19 have the 60% higher risk of developing mental disorders within one year of infection. To say it is a research published in the British Medical Journal.
Research shows that the risk is greater among those who have had a severe form of the disease, but it also emerges among those who did not need hospitalization.
What are the most common ailments? “Anxiety, depression, substance use and sleep problems,” experts explain.
The estimates were made by examining the data of 153,848 people who tested positive between March 2020 and January 2021. Compared to the control group made up of people who had not contracted the infection, people with Covid-19 showed a 60% higher risk of any diagnosis or prescription of drugs for mental disorders within one year of the disease equal, in absolute value, to an increase of 64 more cases per 1,000 people compared to the control group.
For example, an increase of 24 more cases of sleep disorders per 1,000 people was found among those who had fallen ill with Covid-19. There were also 15 more cases per 1,000 people for depression, 11 more cases of neurocognitive decline and 4 more cases of substance use disorders (excluding opioids).
People who had experienced Covid-19 also showed higher risks of mental health disorders than people who had been sick from seasonal flu.
The researchers highlight that this is an observational study, therefore not able to establish a cause-effect link with certainty. Despite this, the researchers call for greater attention to those who have recovered from Covid-19, evaluating the long-term impact of the virus not only on the health of the body but also on that of the mind.
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