Long COVID’s Effect on Mental Health
Maintaining your mental health takes practice. Learning healthy skills to support and improve your well-being is possible with the help of loved ones. Additionally, seeking out the guidance of a therapist or a group can be beneficial.
In the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19’s social isolation regulations increased feelings of depression and anxiety in many people. The uncertainty of how the virus was passed, how long social isolation regulations would be in effect, and other factors led to increased telehealth visits with mental health providers.
The loosening of social isolation regulations, vaccines, and treatments gave hope that more would be known about COVID-19 and its variants, but most of the attention was focused on the initial symptoms of COVID-19. People began to experience long-term effects. At first, little was done to acknowledge these symptoms. People felt they were being ignored or neglected. Soon, groups on social media were created to address the symptoms people were feeling after COVID-19.
Long COVID’s Symptoms
Long-term symptoms (severe fatigue, shortness of breath, headache, brain fog, and/or chest pain) occur in people with a history of COVID-19. These symptoms typically last longer than three months and aren’t explained by another diagnosis.
There are other long COVID symptoms. Mental distress is another long COVID disorder. COVID-19 has documented effects on the brain. These effects have potential side effects, including psychiatric or neurological symptoms. Dr. Anna Dickerman, Chief of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, states, “Rates of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are higher among patients with long COVID than in the general population.” This occurs because inflammation and immune responses caused by COVID-19 increase the risk of depression.
Symptoms from long COVID, combined with mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety, can erode a person’s sense of happiness, hope, or mental well-being. Diagnosing long COVID is also tricky because the symptoms of depression are similar to those of long COVID. These symptoms are:
- Sleep disturbances
- Fatigue
- Changes in appetite
- Inability to concentrate
Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to test to see who is vulnerable to the effects of long COVID. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides information about long COVID, its symptoms, and high-risk groups.
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Answers and an Advisory
Researchers and psychiatric and medical professionals have studied how long COVID-19 can affect people. As a result of these studies, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an advisory in June. The advisory states that long COVID can have “devasting effects” on people’s mental health. HHS identified the following factors as causes of mental health issues:
- Chronic illness (physical and mental)
- Social isolation
- Financial insecurity
- Grief
- Caregiver burnout
Conclusion
Studies targeting the mental well-being of those with long COVID-19 found there are ways to help alleviate some of the symptoms. Some interventions included medication or nutrition changes. Most studies suggested a comprehensive approach to treating long COVID symptoms worked well. Patients and their care team worked together to find a comprehensive care plan. The key to the plan working is when a person maintains their care plan.
Long COVID treatment is unique to the individual. There isn’t a standard of care. If you think you may have long COVID, talk with your doctor.
Christina Sisti, DPS, MPH, MS, is a bioethicist and health care policy advocate. She works to create awareness and improve healthcare policy for those with long-term health issues.