Nearly 1 in 5 COVID-19 patients develop mental illness within 90 days: Study

Team Udayavani, Nov 12, 2020, 5:59 PM IST

Nearly 1 in 5 people who’ve had COVID-19 are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder within 90 days, a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal said.

The Oxford University study analysed electronic health records of 69.8 million people in US, including 62,354 cases of COVID-19.

Anxiety, depression and insomnia were most common among recovered COVID-19 patients who developed mental illness.

The researchers from Britain’s Oxford University also found significantly higher risks of dementia, a brain impairment condition.

“People have been worried that COVID-19 survivors will be a greater risk of mental health problems, and our findings show this to be likely,” said Paul Harrison, a professor of psychiatry at Oxford.

The study also found that people with a pre-existing mental illness were 65% more likely to be diagnosed with Covid-19 than those without.