UCSD study finds link between mental health, long COVID in older women
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) - Older women with a history of mental health disorders had a 78% higher risk of developing long COVID after a SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a UC San Diego-led report published today.
The study, published in Tuesday's online edition of the journal Menopause, found that older women with histories of anxiety and depression saw significantly higher risk of developing the chronic condition known as long COVID, where people experience persistent symptoms that last three months or more after the initial infection.
"Some people have only anxiety. Some have only depression. When these conditions occur together, they usually indicate more severe mental illness,'' said senior author Dr. Wael Al-Delaimy, professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at UCSD. "We found that older women with a combined history of both depression and anxiety, before the COVID-19 pandemic, were at the highest risk of long COVID complications."
According to the study -- sourced from the long-term Women's Health Initiative that began in the 1990s -- higher levels of anxiety were linked to increasing likelihood of long COVID symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog and shortness of breath. Higher stress levels also raised the odds of long COVID.
While women with both long-term depression and anxiety faced a greater risk of long COVID, their SARS-CoV-2 infection rates were not higher; only their risk of complications increased.
The correlation is partially tied to mental health history impacting safety habits. According to the study, women with long-term depression, or both depression and anxiety, were less likely to wear masks, wash hands or keep social distance.
"We hope that by characterizing these mental health risk factors public health officials and policymakers can target preventative measures to those with the greatest need,'' said co-author Dr. William Bruno, associate physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the UCSD School of Medicine.
Al-Delaimy said the community should stay vigilant and care for people who may be dealing with loneliness, isolation or existing mental illness should another pandemic or other isolating event occur.
The third extension of the federally funded Women's Health Initiative (between 2020-2027) included COVID-19 surveys. The average participant was 83 years old, and 414 participants met the criteria for long COVID.
