A lot of research has come out on the influence of Covid 19 on mental health. A latest study involving a large number of Covid 19 patients’ reveals that one in three Coronavirus patients received a neurological or psychiatric diagnosis within six months of infection.
The Study published in Lancet Journal said that the study was the largest and held in over 2.3 lakh patients. Oxford University researchers led the study. A lot of researchers had earlier pointed out that Covid 19 patients might have neurological issues and that these patients are at a higher risk of mental health.
The researchers found that Covid patients had a 44 per cent increased risk for neurological and psychiatric issues when compared to people recovering from the flu. The study also found that psychological issues mainly affected hospitalised people. In the study, the researchers said that 13 per cent of the Covid 19 patients were first to have recorded any neurological or psychiatric issues.
They said that 17 per cent of the people with Covid 19 had anxiety. Meanwhile, 14 per cent of the people had mood disorders. The researchers said that seven per cent of the patients had substance misuse disorders and five per cent were affected with insomnia. The Study also noted that incidence of neurological outcomes was lower. They recorded 0.6 per cent brain haemorrhage, 2.1 per cent ischaemic stroke or brain stroke, and 0.7 per cent dementia.
The Oxford Study team pointed out that those who had severe Covid 19 were at a higher risk of a neurological diagnosis. This came to about 38 per cent, the study said. This increased to 46 per cent for those admitted in Intensive Care Units. Further, the risk increased by 62 per cent for those who suffered delirium during the infection.
When making a comparison, the researchers also looked at people who experienced flu and other respiratory tract infections during the same period.
