Why COVID-19 brings higher risk of Depression?

You got COVID-19? You may get Depression, Anxiety, and Dementia as side effect

Several new studies results brought researchers to the conclusion that people, struggling with COVID-19, have a significant chance of developing a psychiatric disorder after recovering.

According to the report, published in The Lancet on November 9, 2020, about 18 percent of COVID-19 patients developed a mental health issue — like depression, anxiety, or dementia — within 3 months of diagnosis. So basically, their risk was doubled compared to people who didn’t have COVID-19. Another recent survey from Ecuador has also confirmed the finding from other sources - people diagnosed with COVID-19 commonly experience anxiety, insomnia, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Though researchers are still working to understand exactly how the new coronavirus impacts not just the mind but brain function, this new research helps to further establish the link. “COVID-19 can result in psychological issues due to both pandemic stress and the physical effects of the disease,” says Brittany LeMonda, PhD, a senior neuropsychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

The effect on older adults’ wellbeing event more significant. It is found that older adults with COVID-19 also had a two to three times greater risk for developing dementia.

How the new coronavirus affects the mind?

Simply being diagnosed with a novel, potentially life threatening disease can trigger stress and anxiety.

“Given the novelty and scope of the pandemic, there is little-to-no framework, particularly during the lifespan of the majority of the population alive, for how to manage the threat to health, lifestyle, and societal change,” says Jessica Stern, PhD, a psychologist and clinical assistant professor with the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health.

Those who test positive must also isolate, which can contribute to anxiety and depression. Typically, patients can lean on loved ones as they recover.

“In the case of COVID, most patients know they should avoid transmitting the disease to others and therefore lack that kind of comfort and support,” says Dr. Gail Saltz, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the NY Presbyterian Hospital, Weill-Cornell Medicine and host of the Personology podcast.

Battling the disease itself can also be taxing for those who develop moderate to severe symptoms.

Many COVID-19 patients, now called “long-haulers,” endure symptoms that last for months and interfere with their daily lives.

“It may take up to months to recover from COVID, which can result in a number of challenges; for example, difficulties returning to work, difficulties caring for children, or difficulties resuming one’s ‘normal’ routines,” says LeMonda.

How the new coronavirus affects the brain?

Scientists now know that COVID-19 isn’t just a respiratory illness but a disease that can reach many critical organs, including the brain. Numerous reports show COVID-19 patients frequently experience neurological complications. such as confusion, dizziness, delirium, and other cognitive impairments. Scientists are still working to understand how the novel coronavirus interacts with the central nervous system, but they suspect the new coronavirus may damage the brain’s blood supply and lead to swelling in the brain tissue. Plus, an impaired respiratory system could diminish oxygen supply to the brain.

COVID-19 can disrupt a person’s circadian rhythm, which can impair their sleep, lead to insomnia, and snowball into depression, anxiety, or other cognitive changes.

What if you did not get COVID?

The overwhelming data suggests that the pandemic environment is largely contributing to the risk of depression, even for those, who have not been affected by the virus themselves. Researchers worldwide are investigating the causes and impacts of this stress, and some fear that the deterioration in mental health could linger long after the pandemic has subsided.

More than 42% of people surveyed by the US Census Bureau in December reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in December, an increase from 11% the previous year. Data from other surveys suggest that the picture is similar worldwide (see ‘COVID’s mental stress’). “I don’t think this is going to go back to baseline anytime soon,” says clinical psychologist Luana Marques, at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, who is monitoring the mental-health impacts of the crisis in US populations and elsewhere.

Major events that have shaken societies, such as the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York, have left some people with psychological distress for years, says Marques. A study1 of more than 36,000 New York residents and rescue workers revealed that more than 14 years after the attack, 14% still had post-traumatic stress disorder and 15% experienced depression — much higher rates than in comparable populations (5% and 8%, respectively).

Fear and isolation

The distress in the pandemic probably stems from people’s limited social interactions, tensions among families in lockdown together and fear of illness, says psychiatrist Marcella Rietschel at the Central Institute for Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany.

Studies and surveys conducted so far in the pandemic consistently show that young people, rather than older people, are most vulnerable to increased psychological distress, perhaps because their need for social interactions are stronger. Data also suggest that young women are more vulnerable than young men, and people with young children, or a previously diagnosed psychiatric disorder, are at particularly high risk for mental-health problems. “The things that we know predispose people to mental health problems and conditions have been increased as a whole,” says Victor Ugo, a campaign officer who specializes in mental-health policy at United for Global Mental Health, a mental-health advocacy group in London.

Scientists running large, detailed international studies say that they might eventually be able to show how particular COVID-control measures — such as lockdowns or restrictions on social interaction — reduce or exacerbate mental-health stress, and whether some populations, such as minority ethnic groups, are disproportionately affected by certain policies. That could help to inform the response in this pandemic and future ones, say researchers.

Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress and COVID-19 Blues

It is understandable, that everyone’s symptoms might be quite different, but there are a few common ones to watch for. If you’re generally not feeling like yourself, that may be one of the first signs you’re experiencing the blues.

Other common symptoms include:

· feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness

· feelings of restlessness

· guilt

· anger or irritability more than normal

· withdrawing from things you used to enjoy

· avoiding talking to friends and family

· changes in sleep (sleeping too much or not enough)

· thoughts about harming yourself

· changes in appetite or weight (more or less)

CDC developed the following professional recommendations on how to cope with epidemic stress and lower the risk of the psychological disorders episodes’ development.

· Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media. It’s good to be informed, but hearing about the pandemic constantly can be upsetting. Consider limiting news to just a couple times a day and disconnecting from phone, tv, and computer screens for a while.

· Take care of your body.

o Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate.

o Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals.

o Exercise regularly.

o Get plenty of sleep.

o Avoid excessive alcohol, tobacco, and substance use.

o Continue with routine preventive measures (such as vaccinations, cancer screenings, etc.) as recommended by your healthcare provider.

o Get vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine when available.

· Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.

· Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.

· Connect with your community- or faith-based organizations. While social distancing measures are in place, try connecting online, through social media, or by phone or mail.

Although it may be hard, sometimes the best thing to get yourself out of a depressive episode is to do the opposite of what your body is telling you to do. “When you’re depressed, your body is telling you to do everything you can to stay in a depression,” says Powers-James, a clinical psychologist in Integrative Medicine Center.

For example, your depression may tell you to avoid something you once enjoyed, like getting out of bed to go for a walk. “Once you’re actually doing it, you’ll probably find it wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be,” Powers-James says.

Another general recommendation would be to keep particular schedule. Lots of folks have lost their usual routines, and that unstructured time can also lead to rumination and passivity, high risk factors for depression. Schedule your day, down to the hour. At the end of the day, check things off and make a to-do list for the next day, so you can look forward to things. Create a set of goals for the week and for the month, then make some longer-term goals.

It’s especially important to keep structure if you’ve lost your job. It’s natural for people to be upset when they’re unemployed. In addition to the financial issues, they lose the structure in their lives. One way of coping is to structure your time.