Could COVID-19 disease lead to depression?

According to various studies, depression is the most common mental disorder reported in medical and psychotherapeutic offices. The pandemic contributed to the increase in mental disorders . According to research conducted at the Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom among residents of nursing homes, during the COVID-19 pandemic , cognitive abilities and the risk of depression increased in those people in whom the problem was not previously reported!

Studies of nursing home residents also found that the number of psychological interventions was higher during the period of full isolation compared with months without compulsory isolation due to COVID-19. After the introduction of full isolation, the GDS results were significantly higher, which means that the inhabitants were at a greater risk of developing depressive disorders.

There is now a significant increase in the incidence of depression across age groups, and the reason for this is found in the COVID-19 epidemiological situation. According to UCE Research data, 42.4 percent. Poles complain about the deterioration of their mental health. Can the disease of COVID-19 lead to depression? Experts think so. Some patients experience multiple disorders including mood, anxiety and sleep after COVID-19. According to experts from UCE Research, the most frequently declared symptom is low mood (51.0%), and the second most common symptom is sleep disturbance (48.5%).

- Importantly, these symptoms occur even in people who have not reported similar symptoms before. - emphasizes Dr. Mateusz Grajek, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia.

The severity of mood disorders is greater in people who have previously been diagnosed with any emotional disorders. According to Owen O'Kane - a psychotherapist from NHS Mental Health, this is related to the fact that the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection resembles the situation leading to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), therefore the risk of exacerbation of already existing mental disorders is higher than in people previously healthy.

So far, numerous scientific studies have been published indicating that some people after contracting COVID-19 suffer from cognitive decline, which may resemble dementia . It is not known, however, whether such a situation is temporary or permanent in its consequences. - According to the research carried out at the Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom among residents of nursing homes, during the COVID-19 pandemic, cognitive abilities and the risk of depression increased in those who had not previously noted the problem, says Dr. Grajek.

- It is also worth remembering that other mental symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection include the so-called brain fog , i.e. lowering concentration, difficulty remembering information and mood swings - adds Dr. Grajek.