A large meta-analysis suggests that preexisting mental illness is linked with worse COVID-19 outcomes, including death.

The meta-analysis included 16 studies involving 634,338 COVID-19 patients. A total of 68,023 (10.7%) patients had been diagnosed with a mental disorder prior to testing positive for COVID-19. In the studies providing data about types of mental disorders, 43% of patients had mood disorders, and 16% had schizophrenia, schizotypal disorder, and delusional disorders. A model including all 16 studies, but not fully adjusted, showed that prediagnosis with mental disorders was associated with a significant increase in the risk for severe COVID-19 and mortality. The findings were published online in Psychiatry Research… (Medscape)