Due, in part, to campus shutdowns, students' rates of on-campus use of mental health services decreased from 58.6% to 44.4%.

Scientific Reports - Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of middle-aged and older Europeans

Translational Psychiatry - Memory complaints after COVID-19: a potential indicator of primary cognitive impairment or a correlate of psychiatric symptoms?

March 2025 will mark five years since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. What has changed? What has stayed the same? As the pandemic nears its half-decade anniversary, we chart the major tectonic shifts – and lack thereof – in health, work, education and health care in Arizona.

Although the Covid pandemic is regarded as over, musicians around the world are still suffering its effects. What support is there for victims of Long Covid?

Scientists using advanced MRI scanners found that severe COVID-19 can cause long-lasting damage to the brainstem, potentially explaining persistent symptoms like breathlessness, fatigue, and anxiety, offering insights into the neurological basis of long COVID.

Background Long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), is a poorly understood condition with symptoms across a range of biological domains that often have debilitating consequences. Some have recently suggested that lingering SARS-CoV-2 virus particles in the gut may impede serotonin production and that low serotonin may drive many Long COVID symptoms across a range of biological systems. Therefore, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which increase synaptic serotonin availability, may be used to prevent or treat Long COVID. SSRIs are commonly prescribed for depression, therefore restricting a study sample to only include patients with depression can reduce the concern of confounding by indication. Methods In an observational sample of electronic health records from patients in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) with a COVID-19 diagnosis between September 1, 2021, and December 1, 2022, and a comorbid depressive disorder, the leading indication for SSRI use, we evaluated the relationship between SSRI use during acute COVID-19 and subsequent 12-month risk of Long COVID (defined by ICD-10 code U09.9). We defined SSRI use as a prescription for SSRI medication beginning at least 30 days before acute COVID-19 and not ending before SARS-CoV-2 infection. To minimize bias, we estimated relationships using nonparametric targeted maximum likelihood estimation to aggressively adjust for high-dimensional covariates. Results We analyzed a sample (n = 302,626) of patients with a diagnosis of a depressive condition before COVID-19 diagnosis, where 100,803 (33%) were using an SSRI. We found that SSRI users had a significantly lower risk of Long COVID compared to nonusers (adjusted causal relative risk 0.92, 95% CI (0.86, 0.99)) and we found a similar relationship comparing new SSRI users (first SSRI prescription 1 to 4 months before acute COVID-19 with no prior history of SSRI use) to nonusers (adjusted causal relative risk 0.89, 95% CI (0.80, 0.98)). Conclusions These findings suggest that SSRI use during acute COVID-19 may be protective against Long COVID, supporting the hypothesis that serotonin may be a key mechanistic biomarker of Long COVID.

A People with ME and Long COVID writing group! Come, Try it out!!   #MEAction is excited to partner with longtime ME advocate and mother of a pwME, Bobbi Ausubel, to host a writing group for people with ME and Long COVID, Pillow Writers.  The group will be offered every week on Thursdays from 11am PST/2pm … Pillow Writers: AN ME/CFS WRITING GROUP Read More »

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed nurses at the forefront of healthcare, exposing them to various mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and po...

Tamsin Ford and colleagues say better evidence on how children’s mental health is affected by health shocks is essential to inform policy responses The impact of health shocks, such as pandemics and human made and natural disasters, on children and young people is too often under-researched, meaning evidence informed responses are inadequate. The original terms of reference of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry omitted children, for example, as did much of the global pandemic response. Yet data indicate that the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on their mental health.1 This was entirely predictable, given that pandemic restrictions resulted in social isolation and disrupted routines and sleep, as well as financial and academic stress, all of which undermine mental health, in addition to fears about loss of educational opportunities and family members becoming ill (box 1).2 Box 1 ### Young person’s perspective, by Ann Kannuralil Sabu I am 17 and in full time education. Over the past few years, I have collaborated with the Cambridge Children’s Hospital (CCH) youth forum. To elicit views about the effects of the pandemic that needed researching, in August 2023 we sent a survey to about 600 people linked to the CCH youth forum, as well as the linked parents and carers forum, and about 20 third sector organisations that work with children and families in the east of England. We also shared it through social media. We received 38 responses. The following are typical of the comments received.RETURN TO TEXT

Emily Chesterton died aged 30 after she was misdiagnosed by a physician associate - now her parents are backing a campaign for tighter regulations

A new study found that individuals who experienced childhood abuse have a significantly higher risk of developing long COVID, with severe abuse increasing the risk by 42%. This underscores the importance of considering trauma history in post-COVID health evaluations.

The risk of COVID might have lessened, but long COVID remains a worry for many people. Researchers are looking for risk factors for long COVID, and depression may just be one.

Nursing aides feel abandoned as they grapple with mental and physical troubles that stem from their work during the COVID outbreak.

Those in the study who had been infected with the virus showed an increase in a brain protein that is often associated with a brain injury.

The 9th wave of the pandemic and new research into the neurological effects of Long COVID have firmly established the criminality of the "forever COVID" policy.

This is a cross-sectional study, its aim is to clarify the level of anxiety in post-COVID patients and possible associated factors with anxiety symptoms.

Miller School researchers found persistent subjective and objective cognitive issues even two years after infection, including brain fog.

The pandemic may have affected cognition in multiple ways.

Introduction In addition to physical symptoms such as dyspnea, fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and pain, a subgroup of patients with Post-COVID-19 syndrome (Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19, PASC) suffers from mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, and neurocognitive impairments. To date, there are no causal treatments available for PASC. While initial studies show that psychotherapy improves psychological symptoms, PASC-related fatigue, and psychosocial functioning, further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatment for PASC. Methods and analysis This study presents a non-randomized controlled trial aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a five-week multimodal inpatient psychosomatic treatment program for individuals experiencing PASC symptoms and comorbid mental illness. A total of 118 patients presented at the Post-COVID Center at the Universitätsklinikum Erlangen will be assigned to the intervention group receiving inpatient psychosomatic treatment or the control group receiving treatment as usual. The inclusion criteria for the intervention group are a diagnosis of PASC and at least one condition of mental distress and problems with coping with illness. The primary objective of the intervention is to reduce mental ailments, including depression and anxiety, as well as neurocognitive deficits, and to address PASC symptoms such as fatigue and pain. The core elements of the treatment are psychotherapy in individual and group settings, medical treatment, neurocognitive training, and physical therapy, adapted to the individual’s capacity and oriented towards the concept of pacing. After enrollment, participants will undergo a 6-month follow-up to assess long-term results and the sustainability of the intervention effects. Discussion This study examines the effectiveness of inpatient psychotherapeutic treatment in PASC patients with comorbid mental illness in comparison with a control group based on treatment as usual. The results of the study can contribute to the development of evidence-based interventions to address the complex needs of patients with PASC and comorbid mental illness. Trial registration German Clinical Trial Register (DRKS), retrospectively registered 15.02.2024 DRKSID DRKS00033562.

New research suggests different forms of narcissism influenced pandemic behaviors differently, with some types leading to antisocial actions like hoarding or conspiracy belief endorsement, while others promoted prosocial behaviors, such as following health guidelines.

Background Long-term deterioration in the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs) has been reported during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Determining the impact of COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates on the mental health of HCWs is essential to prepare for potential new pandemics. This study aimed to investigate the association of COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates with depressive symptoms over 2 years among HCWs in 20 countries during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This was a multi-country serial cross-sectional study using data from the first and second survey waves of the COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) global study. The HEROES study prospectively collected data from HCWs at various health facilities. The target population included HCWs with both clinical and non-clinical roles. In most countries, healthcare centers were recruited based on convenience sampling. As an independent variable, daily COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates were calculated using confirmed cases and deaths reported by Johns Hopkins University. These rates represent the average for the 7 days preceding the participants’ response date. The primary outcome was depressive symptoms, assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. A multilevel linear mixed model (LMM) was conducted to investigate the association of depressive symptoms with the average incidence and mortality rates. Results A total of 32,223 responses from the participants who responded to all measures used in this study on either the first or second survey, and on both the first and second surveys in 20 countries were included in the analysis. The mean age was 40.1 (SD = 11.1), and 23,619 responses (73.3%) were from females. The 9323 responses (28.9%) were nurses and 9119 (28.3%) were physicians. LMM showed that the incidence rate was significantly and positively associated with depressive symptoms (coefficient = 0.008, standard error 0.003, p = 0.003). The mortality rate was significantly and positively associated with depressive symptoms (coefficient = 0.049, se = 0.020, p = 0.017). Conclusions This is the first study to show an association between COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates with depressive symptoms among HCWs during the first 2 years of the outbreak in multiple countries. This study’s findings indicate that additional mental health support for HCWs was needed when the COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates increase during and after the early phase of the pandemic, and these findings may apply to future pandemics. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04352634.

“We’re together trying to understand how the COVID virus goes from getting into the nose and the lung, to somehow affecting the heart and the brain,” researchers said.

Recent data and conversations with experts highlighted the increasing concern of Long COVID’s impact on the brain in patients who have been previously infected with the virus.

The Covid inquiry opens its next set of hearings on Monday, looking at the impact on healthcare and the NHS.

The following is a summary of “Frequency, persistence and relation of disease symptoms, psychosomatic comorbidity and daily life impairment after COVID-19: a cohort study in general practice,” published in the August 2024 issue of Primary Care by Hapfelmeier et al. Persistent symptoms following COVID-19, potentially linked to psychosomatic comorbidity, have been increasingly recognized, yet data

Researchers in the U.S. recently analyzed the records of more than 219,000 patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection for a possible causal relationship between the virus and new-onset schizophrenia. Here’s what they discovered.

Since COVID is still evolving, I think it is too soon to say we've reached a genetic truce, but it is certainly easy to say we've accepted it as just one more of life's indignities.

The heterogeneity of chronic post-COVID neuropsychiatric symptoms (PCNPS), especially after infection by the Omicron strain, has not been adequately explored. Our pre-registered hypotheses are 1. chronic PCNPS in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 over a year ago during the 'Omicron wave' showed a similar clustering pattern with symptoms in patients infected with pre-Omicron strain; 2. these chronic PCNPS are associated with a) clinical risk factors, such as, severity of the acute infection; b) socioeconomic status e.g., level of deprivation; and c) pre-infection vaccination status. We assessed 1205 subjects using app-based questionnaires and cognitive tasks. Partial network analysis on chronic PCNPS in this cohort produced two major symptom clusters (cognitive complaint-fatigue cluster and anxiety-depression symptoms cluster) and a minor headache-dizziness symptoms cluster, like our pre-Omicron cohort. Subjects with high number of symptoms (4 or more) can be further grouped into two distinct phenotypes: a cognitive complaint-fatigue predominant phenotype (CF) and another with symptoms across multiple clusters (AD-CF). Multiple logistic regression showed that both phenotypes are predicted by the level of deprivation before infection (adjusted p-value for CF and AD-CF = 0.025 and 0.0054 respectively). While the severity of acute COVID (adjusted p-value = 0.023) and the number of pre-existing medical conditions predict only the CF phenotypes (adjusted p-value = 0.003), past suicidal ideas predict the AD-CF phenotype (adjusted p-value 0.001). Pre-infection vaccination status did not predict either phenotype. Our finding suggests that we should recognize the heterogeneity under the umbrella of chronic PCNPS, and a holistic bio-psycho-social approach is essential in understanding them. ### Competing Interest Statement Declaration of Interest: JWYC received personal fees from Eisai Co., Ltd and travel support from Lundbeck HK limited for overseas conference. CKCL received honoraria for lectures from GSK, and support for attending meetings from Pfizer. YKW received personal fees from Eisai Co., Ltd., for delivering a lecture, and sponsorship from Lundbeck HK Ltd and Aculys Pharma, Inc. ### Funding Statement This study was funded by the Research Grant Council (SWHC, grant number C4061-21G) and the Health Bureau, Hong Kong SAR (RHYC and YKW, grant number COVID1903002). ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: The Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Joint Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Hospital Authority New Territories East Cluster (NTEC) (Ref. no.: 2022.362) gave ethical approval for this work. The Central Institution Review Board of the Hospital Authority gave ethical approval for this work (Ref. no.: CIRB-2022-006-1). I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes Data availability: The data that support the findings of this study will be openly available after the paper is published.

Plus, how to reduce your risk for the lingering condition