On October 8th, the doctors of Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, in the run-up to World Mental Health Day, stated that the pandemic has taken a heavy toll not only on the physical health of people but also on their mental well-being. They stated that a significant proportion of patients who survived acute COVID-19 are now suffering from some type of mental disorder, such as depression and anxiety in India.

Dr. Vikas Gaur, Head of the Psychiatry Department at Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, stated that in general, among the people who suffered from COVID in the last two to three years, about 50% of them are now suffering from mental symptoms of some kind, such as depression or anxiety. Meanwhile, about 26% of people who were ill with COVID are now suffering from sleep disorders and an equal number from anger-related issues. He added that, interestingly, there is also a substantial rise in the onset of new cases of psychosis.

People who suffered from COVID-19 are now seeking medical help for cognitive problems related to memory and concentration, which were not seen in the pre-Covid times, especially elderly people above the age of 60 years.

He explained that after physically recovering from COVID, from the third week onwards, many patients have started reporting mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and sleep disorders. These are new cases due to the neuro-psychiatric manifestation of Long COVID.

Hence, according to the doctors at Amrita hospital, COVID-19 can trigger mental symptoms. It significantly increases inflammatory markers in the human brain biologically, which can trigger psychiatric symptoms.

WHO states that only 7% of patients suffering from psychosis are being treated worldwide. In low-income countries, only 3% of depression cases get treated. In 2019, one in every eight people around the world was living with a mental disorder.

However, in 2020, the number of people living with anxiety and depressive disorders rose significantly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with most people having no access to effective care.

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/survivors-of-acute-covid-19-at-increased-risk-of-psychiatric-disorders/94748325 )