One in 5 patients with Covid develops a mental illness, according to a study

20:45 10.11.2020(updated 20:50 10.11.2020) Short URL

Nearly one in 5 patients with Covid-19 develops a psychological disorder within three months of contamination, according to a study by a team of British researchers.

One fifth of patients who contract the coronavirus develop psychiatric problems within 90 days of infection, according to an Oxford University study.

Anxiety, depression and insomnia are the most common ailments in recovered patients, who are also more vulnerable to dementia, according to British researchers.

“Public opinion expressed concern about the increased risk of mental illness in coronavirus survivors and about our research […] show that this concern is justified, “said Paul Harrison, a professor of psychiatry at Oxford.

According to him, the causes of these diseases need to be investigated and new treatments identified. “Services [de santé] must prepare to treat these patients, especially since these figures are probably underestimated “, He added.

A mutual dependence

The study, published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry, also reveals that people with psychiatric disorders are 65% more likely to contract Covid-19. Simon Wessely, a professor of psychiatry at King’s College London, said the findings confirm the findings seen in previous outbreaks.

As part of this study, medical data from 69 million Americans were analyzed, 62,000 of whom contracted the coronavirus. The results are likely the same globally, the researchers say.