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Julia Musto

#Coronavirus is causing #mentalhealthissues in #patients, according to new studies.

In a large study published Wednesday in the journal The BMJ, researchers from St. Louis analyzed the records of 153,848 people from the #VeteransHealthAdministration system.

The study included only people who had no #mentalhealthdiagnoses or treatment for at least two years prior to infection, and the cohort study divvied participants into those who survived the first 30 days of SARS-CoV-2 infection and two control groups.

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The control groups included a contemporary one with no evidence of infection from the #virus and a historical group that predated the #pandemic.

Those with #COVID-19 were 39% more likely to have depressive disorders and 35% more likely to show an increased risk of incident #anxietydisorders over the months after infection.

That group was also 38% more likely to be diagnosed with stress and adjustment disorders and 41% more likely to be diagnosed with #sleepdisorders.

#COVID-19 #patients were 80% more likely to develop neurocognitive problems and 34% more likely to develop opioid use disorders.

More than 18% of #COVID-19 #patients received a diagnosis or prescription for a neuropsychiatric issue in the following year.

"The risk of incident #mentalhealthdisorders was consistently higher in the #COVID-19 group in comparisons of people with #covid-19 not admitted to #hospital versus those not admitted to #hospital for seasonal influenza, admitted to #hospital with #covid-19 versus admitted to #hospital with seasonal influenza, and admitted to #hospital with #covid-19 versus admitted to #hospital for any other cause," the authors wrote.

#JamesDonaldson notes:

Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.

Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.

Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle

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However, between 4.4% and 5.6% of people in the study received diagnoses of #depression, #anxiety or #stress and adjustment disorders.

The average age of those in the study was 61, 90% of whom were #men.

Study author Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of research and development for the VA St. Louis Health Care System and clinical epidemiologist at Washington University, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday that there were enough #women participants to draw the same conclusions.

"We need to get them the treatments they need so this does not degenerate into a much larger crisis," he told the publication. "Just because of the enormity of #COVID in the U.S., the numbers here represent really millions of people."

Long #COVID, or post-COVID conditions, occur four or more weeks after first being infected, according to the #CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention (#CDC).

The agency said some symptoms include difficulty breathing, brain fog, joint or muscle pain, sleep problems, mood swings, change in menstrual period cycle and change in smell or taste.

The #WorldHealthOrganization (#WHO) reports that the #pandemic has disrupted or halted critical #mentalhealthservices in 93% of countries worldwide, with 72% of #mentalhealthservices for #adolescents halted between June and August 2020.

A recent study published in the Journal of #Adolescent Health looking at #eatingdisorder-related hospitalizations at Boston Children's Hospital found that there has been a surge in the prevalence of such disorders for the age group.

According to GlobalData, epidemiologists expect that the 12-month diagnosed prevalent cases of binge-#eatingdisorder will likely increase and surpass current forecast estimates over the next five years.

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