Healthline: COVID-19 increases risk of mental health disorders
A new study of U.S. military veterans found that COVID-19 infection could increase the risk of developing mental health issues, even when compared to non-COVID patients or those who contracted the seasonal flu.
The study enrolled more than 150,000 veterans who had been infected with COVID-19 and compared them to a sample group of nearly 6 million veterans who had not contracted the virus. The participants were tracked over a one-year period.
The group who had recovered from COVID had 15 more cases of depression per 1,000 people, increased likelihood of sleeping problems, higher rates of alcohol and drug misuse and a nearly 50% increase in suicidal thoughts compared to the control group.
Maria Espinola, PsyD, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, reviewed the study for Healthline and said the findings did not surprise her.
“Smaller studies have been showing a higher prevalence of certain mental health disorders among COVID patients,” Espinola told Healthline. "This study significantly increases our understanding of the problem.
"The findings add weight to the argument for integrated care, which refers to the integration of behavioral health services with general and/or specialty medical services,” Espinola continued.
Featured photo at top courtesy of the United States Marine Corps.
Related Stories
Mural by UC grad honors U.S. military history
July 17, 2024
Local 12 highlighted a new mural by University of Cincinnati graduate and artist Brandon Hawkins that pays tribute to U.S. military history.
Social media fuels extreme political rhetoric
July 17, 2024
UC College of Arts and Sciences Professor Jeffrey Blevins tells Local 12 that online algorithms fuel political polarization on social media.
Camp aims to empower children, teens who stutter
July 17, 2024
A one-week, evidence-based program for children and teens who stutter at the University of Cincinnati will teach kids to communicate effectively, advocate for themselves and develop confidence about their communication abilities. Camp Dream. Speak. Live., which is coming to Cincinnati for the first time July 22-26, began in 2014 at the University of Texas at Austin. The Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research at UT expects to serve more than 2,000 children at camps across the United States, Africa, Asia and Europe this year.