People with mood disorders may be more likely to be hospitalised or die from COVID-19

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-07-29 01:00

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International scientists brought together the data from 21 previous studies, including a total of 91 million people, to look for links between pre-existing mental health conditions and the likelihood of catching COVID-19, the likelihood of being hospitalized after catching it, and the likelihood of dying from the disease. They say that having a mental illness did not mean people were more likely to catch COVID-19, but it did mean they were more likely to be hospitalised or die if they caught the disease. Although the studies they included cannot show that mental illness actually caused the increased risk of hospitalisation or death from COVID-19, the authors say their results suggest that people with mental health issues should be categorised as an at-risk group for COVID-19 hospitalisation and death, and should be prioritised for receiving vaccines.

Media release

From: JAMA

Association Between Mood Disorders and Risk of COVID-19 Infection, Hospitalization, Death

What The Study Did: The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis examining the association between preexisting mood disorders and COVID-19 outcomes suggest that individuals with preexisting mood disorders are at higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and death and should be categorized as an at-risk group on the basis of a preexisting condition.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA Psychiatry

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University Health Network, Canada

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