The CDC states that mental health disorders are at high risk for COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently added certain mental disorders to the list of medical conditions, increasing people’s risk of severe COVID-19.

The list, updated on October 14, includes mood disorders such as schizophrenia spectrum disorders and depression. This addition means that millions of Americans can qualify for COVID-19 boosters based on their mental health diagnosis.

In 2019, an estimated 19.4 million US adults developed at least one major depressive episode, according to the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry. According to the World Health Organization, schizophrenia is less common than other mental illnesses, but it still affects about 20 million people worldwide. Studies suggest that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have the highest risk of death from COVID-19, among other psychiatric disorders.

Blockade and social distance It has hit people’s mental health. However, new studies show that people with mental health problems are also at increased risk of being infected with COVID-19.

“It’s more than just one-way behavior. Mental illness increases the risk of COVID-19.” Rong Xu, PhD, The director of the AI ​​Center for Drug Discovery at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine told Berrywell. “COVID-19, or a pandemic, can also increase the risk of mental illness.”

In a study co-authored by Xu, researchers found that 18% of COVID-19 patients experienced lifelong depression and 9.7% were recently diagnosed with depression. Less than 1% of patients had a lifetime or recent diagnosis of schizophrenia.

This study relied on electronic health records and provided insights into the association between mental health status and higher risk of COVID-19. However, researchers could not confirm a direct causal relationship.

Social and biological relationships between COVID-19 and mental health

Different mental illnesses can affect the risk of getting COVID-19 in different ways.

Studies show that people with depression may experience a lack of motivation and neglect to participate in COVID-19 precautions or seek treatment as needed. People suffering from schizophrenia may experience delusional thoughts that may object to wearing a face mask.

Patients with mental illness also tend to be more sensitive to stress, impairing their ability to cope with pandemic challenges and potentially increasing their risk of recurrence.

“Alcohol sales are growing. Material use is increasing. Isolation and blockades make it difficult for people with mental illness to maintain equality,” says Davis. “Especially those who are vulnerable to mental health need to be careful to ensure that they receive the basic care they need.”

Researchers also pointed out that people with mental illness may live in crowded homes, hospitals, and even prisons, and invasion of facilities can lead to a rapid spread of the infection. They are also likely to be at a social disadvantage and are exposed to the risks of an unsafe living and working environment. It may also lack a safe place to quarantine in the event of an infection.

“It’s not just about wearing a mask. It’s about whether you take dangerous actions.” Pamela B. Davis, MD, PhD, A professor of pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine told Berrywell.

In October, Davis and Xu co-authored a paper on the risk of breakthrough cases of COVID-19 in people with substance use disorders. They found that substance use disorders were also at high risk for COVID-19. Compared to the general public, people with mood disorders and anxiety disorders Double the chance of getting a drug addict, According to the National Institute of Substance Abuse (NIDA).

Biological factors such as depression, schizophrenia, and inflammation that may be involved in bipolar disorder are comparable to how COVID-19 infection manifests in the immune system.

Patients with severe mental illness are more likely to have comorbidity, such as cancer and heart disease, and may be at increased risk of becoming infected and seriously ill. Studies have shown that people with mental illness appear to be more susceptible to the virus in the absence of these co-morbidities.

Some antidepressants are being studied as treatments for COVID-19. “It shows that there may be an underlying biological mechanism between mental illness and the outcome of COVID-19,” says Xu.

What do researchers do next?

Finding the “cause and effect” between the risks of COVID-19 and mental health problems is confusing, researchers say. Just as mental illness increases the risk of coronavirus, the virus also increases the risk of developing mental health problems.

In the future, Davis and Xu will use the grant to study the impact of pandemics on long-term mental health. They investigate whether some of the challenges posed by quarantine and quarantine are temporary or remain here.

Researchers say it’s important for people to stay on top of mental health treatments and help healthcare providers in need, no matter what the new research discovers.

“We need to make sure people pay attention to the underlying morbidity that causes the risk of COVID infection,” says Davis. “We were able to ensure that people received appropriate treatment for the underlying risk factors.”

The information in this article is up to date as of the date stated. In other words, reading this may provide new information. For the latest update of COVID-19, Coronavirus news page..