According to a survey-based study, mental health symptoms in individuals who recovered from COVID-19 were linked with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms post-infection.

Researchers analyzed around 750 individuals who had COVID-19 and noted that people with mental health symptoms either prior to or after the infection had over 16-fold higher likelihood of having post-COVID GI symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 16.5). New-onset mental health symptoms after the infection were also associated with post-COVID GI symptoms (aOR 6.16).

Patients having pre-COVID mental health symptoms were found to have a greater risk of post-COVID GI symptoms (49% compared to 28% for those without, P=0.01). Patients who developed anxiety or sadness after the infection also had a higher risk of GI symptoms post-COVID (55% compared to 14% for those without, P<0.01). Additionally, increasing GI symptom severity was shown to be associated with a higher risk for anxiety or sadness (P=0.02). The results are published in the journal Gastroenterology… (Medpage Today)