Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 May Outlast Pandemic, Study Finds

Steve Baragona

   WASHINGTON - The mental health impacts of COVID-19 may linger after the
   pandemic is over.

   New research suggests that some patients hospitalized with the
   coronavirus infection are likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and
   post-traumatic stress disorder months or years after they are released.

   The risks may be higher for the general public as well. Widespread job
   losses, media overload and the isolating effects of social distancing
   may lead to an increase in mental health problems, experts warn.

   About 15% of patients hospitalized with SARS or MERS, two coronaviruses
   closely related to the one that causes COVID-19, suffered from
   depression or anxiety up to three years after they left the hospital,
   according to a new study in the journal [1]The Lancet Psychiatry.

   "The good news is that most people don't suffer a mental illness, even
   after being in [intensivecare], and the majority of people returned to
   work," said University College London psychiatrist and study co-author
   Jonathan Rogers.

   He did, however, say, "With the number of people globally who are being
   admitted to hospital [and] admitted to intensive care units, I think we
   could see a lotof PTSDin the aftermath."

   Just being in the intensive care unit is a traumatic experience. [2]One
   study found that more than half of ICU patients had anxiety, depression
   or PTSD a year after their stay.

References

   1. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(20)30203-0/fulltext#.XsPxpkKWNOk.twitter
   2. https://ccforum.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13054-018-2223-6