Those dealing with the aftermath of Covid are at risk of serious mental health issues, an expert has revealed.
A major study looking at the long-term mental health implications of Covid-19 infection has found that patients over the age of 50 are particularly at risk of a raft of psychological issues.
However, it wasn’t just the over-50s that were at risk.
All people who caught Covid, regardless of severity, age, gender and ethnicity, were more likely to be left with mental health issues than those who had not had the virus.
The researchers behind the study found that many of those who had the virus had increased psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and lower life satisfaction.
Joint author, Dr Ellen Thompson of King’s College London, said: “These findings suggest that there were prolonged mental health consequences of Covid-19 infection for some people at the beginning of this pandemic.
"Understanding why this is the case will be key to finding treatment strategies for those affected as well as preventing such effects in future pandemic waves," she added.
The study suggested that over 50s were more likely to be worried about catching the virus, The Sun reports.
They were also more prone to blood vessels and brain changes after infection, compared with younger people.
Researchers found that worse mental health associated with the virus did not lessen over time after infection, researchers found.
The study, which was published in the Lancet Psychiatry, used data from nearly 55,000 people who took part in research projects during the pandemic.
The grim discovery comes after a study earlier this year linked long Covid with a threefold increase in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a doubling of Parkinson’s disease.
The Danish study revealed that people who have had a Covid-19 infection were also at risk of later developing life-altering brain complications.
These conditions include Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and ischaemic stroke, which Covid patients are more likely to develop later in life.
Researchers in Denmark examined data from 919,731 people who took tests for the virus. The scientists found that the 43,375 positive patients in the study were 3.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s down the line.
They also discovered that the cohort was 4.8 times more likely to suffer a brain bleed, 2.7 times more likely to suffer an ischaemic stroke, and 2.6 times more likely to develop Parkinson’s.
The study analysed in- and outpatients in Denmark between February 2020 and November 2021, as well as influenza patients from the corresponding pre-pandemic period.
