Can the state of your mental health affect your chances of developing Long COVID? Harvard researchers conducted a study on previously infected COVID-19 patients to determine if psychological distress played a role in having Long COVID. Learn more about what they did, what they found, and what it means.*  

What the researchers did

The researchers used survey responses from three large ongoing studies involving predominantly female participants in the United States and Canada. Participants had no current or prior COVID-19 infections as of April 2020, the beginning of the survey, when they were first assessed for anxiety, depression, loneliness, perceived stress, and worry about COVID-19. Participants completed follow-up surveys from April 2020 through November 2021. 

The research team found 3,000 respondents who contracted COVID-19, and of those, 1,400 reported having Long COVID. Researchers compared the data of those with and without Long COVID, to see if prior psychological distress increased the risk of developing Long COVID.

What they found

After analysis, the results showed that individuals who reported psychological distress prior to COVID-19 infection had a 32% to 46% higher risk of Long COVID. Moreover, those who reported high levels of two or more types of distress, such as depression and anxiety, had a 50% increased chance. 

Andrea Roberts, an author of the study and a senior research scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, says, “The factors that we identified are more strongly associated with risk of Long COVID than pretty much anything else anyone’s found.” 

What it means

Many experts know mental health can affect physical health. Stress activates certain molecules in our body that can weaken our immune system. 

While the results support the importance of mental health, there are still more questions to answer in future studies. Can reducing stress lower a person’s risk of Long COVID? Can mental health care be a treatment option for Long COVID sufferers? 

Regardless of the unanswered questions, reducing stress and improving your mental health can always be helpful. If you are emotionally suffering, speak to your doctor and healthcare team to get the appropriate help. 

*Bendix, A. (2022, September 7). Stress, anxiety, or depression may increase long Covid risk: study. NBC News. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/stress-anxiety-depression-may-increase-long-covid-risk-study-rcna46449