A new study has uncovered a concerning link between severe cases of COVID-19 and increased incidence of mental illnesses in unvaccinated individuals for up to a year following infection. The study, led by the University of Bristol and published in JAMA Psychiatry, highlights the importance of vaccination in mitigating the adverse effects of COVID-19 on mental health.
Research has shown that COVID-19 is associated with mental illnesses in both hospital and population-based studies. However, until now, there has been limited evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health in vaccinated individuals.
A collaborative team of researchers from several prestigious institutions, including the University of Bristol, University College London (UCL), University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Swansea University Medical School, analyzed health data from 18,648,606 adults in England to investigate the associations of COVID-19 with mental illnesses based on vaccination status and time since diagnosis.
The study found that the incidence of mental illnesses, such as depression, serious mental illness, general anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction, was elevated in the weeks following a COVID-19 diagnosis, particularly in cases that required hospitalization. This elevated risk of mental health conditions remained high for up to a year following severe COVID-19 in unvaccinated individuals.
Interestingly, the study also revealed that vaccination appeared to mitigate the risk of developing mental illnesses following COVID-19 infection. In the vaccinated cohort, the incidence of mental health conditions after non-hospitalized COVID-19 was similar to levels before or without COVID-19.
Dr. Venexia Walker, Senior Research Fellow in Epidemiology at Bristol Medical School and lead author of the study, emphasized the importance of vaccination in protecting against the negative mental health effects of COVID-19. She highlighted the significance of these findings for public health and mental health service provision, noting that serious mental illnesses are associated with greater healthcare needs and long-term adverse effects.
Professor Jonathan Sterne, Director of the NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre and co-author of the study, emphasized the need to further explore the consequences of COVID-19 on various health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and now mental illnesses.
Overall, this study adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the link between COVID-19 and mental health conditions, underscoring the importance of vaccination in reducing the risk of adverse mental health outcomes. The researchers involved in the study are continuing to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on other health conditions, supported by funding from the Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health and Care Research.
