Researchers at St Louis University, west of Mississippi River are mobilizing efforts to curb the pandemic and mitigate its effects. More than 60 student and faculty researchers from 20 departments have dedicated themselves to help the most vulnerable. Their latest report shares a concerning finding COVID-19 survivors are at increased mental risk.
COVID-19 Survivors Face Increased Mental Risk for a Year
Washington School of Medicine in St Louis reports these side effects include anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, and suicidal thoughts. The St Louis University team obtained their data from 50,000 previously positive military veterans they tracked for a year.
They compared the results to a group of 5.6 million veterans who had not caught the virus. They found COVID-19 survivors are at increased mental risk as follows:
1… COVID-19 survivors are 40% more likely to be depressed and struggle with sleeping.
2… They are also 20% more likely to abuse drugs within a year of catching COVID-19.
3… Subjects were also a slightly higher risk of PTSD, suicidal thoughts and panic attacks.
These Results Are in Line With Other Findings
Medical specialists already concluded Long COVID-19 can linger on with psychological symptoms. ‘I have personal contacts that will tell you that neurological symptoms after COVID-19 are real,’ Dr. Wes Stubblefield told WEARTV. He was speaking on behalf of Alabama Department of Public Health at the time.
‘We’ve all suffered during the pandemic,’ a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University observed. ‘However, people who have had COVID-19 fare far worse mentally and we need to acknowledge this reality.’ He believes it contributed to 2.8 million new cases of mental health disorders in United States alone.
‘My hope is that this dispels the notion that COVID-19 is like the flu,’ a Washington University clinical epidemiologist observed. ‘Our calculations do not account for an untold number of people, likely in the millions. People who suffer in silence due to mental health stigma, or a lack of resources or support.
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