Unique depression subtype?
Another survey, slated for publication later this year, shows that lead investigator Roy Perlis, MD, professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, said in an interview.
This might suggest a neurobiological element. Researchers are speculating as to whether lingering psychiatric problems that occur after having COVID are linked to the psychosocial impact of the disease or to pathological processes, such as inflammation, that affect the brain.
Although rates of post-COVID psychiatric symptoms vary from study to study, “they seem to be pretty enduring,” noted Faith Gunning, PhD, vice chair of research, department of psychology, Weill Cornell Medicine, who specializes in clinical neuropsychology.
“So they’re not just a brief response” to getting sick, a fact that points to the possible need for treatment, she told this news organization. “In some of the work that’s starting to emerge, it does appear that the symptoms persist, at least for a relatively large subset of individuals.”
Although depression typically affects twice as many women as men, these new surveys show that, after COVID, “that difference is not so distinct,” said Dr. Gunning.
It’s unclear why this is, but it could be cause by financial stresses that may affect men to a greater extent, she added. “There is so much we’re still learning.”
Increased suicide risk?
Other researchers, including Leo Sher, MD, professor of psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and director of inpatient psychiatry, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, both in New York, are concerned that higher rates of psychiatric symptoms among patients with long-haul COVID raise the risk for suicidal ideation and behavior.
Studies of suicidality in COVID-19 survivors “are urgently needed,” said Dr. Sher in an article published in the Monthly Journal of the Association of Physicians.
“We need to study what factors may increase suicide risk among the COVID-19 survivors during and after the recovery. We also need to investigate whether there is a long-term increased suicide risk among COVID-19 survivors,” Dr. Sher said.
COVID-19 is not unique among viral respiratory diseases in being associated with long-term mental health problems. Research shows that survivors of the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome experienced increased psychological distress that persisted for at least a year, as did patients who in 2015 had Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
Some experts believe clinicians should screen patients for mental health symptoms after the acute phase of COVID and offer early and prolonged care.
“Early mental health intervention such as psychotherapy and supportive groups could play an important role in preventing incident mental health problems for post-COVID sufferers,” said Dr. Castaldelli-Maia.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.