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Patients reporting back with depression, anxiety post Covid recovery, finds DMCH study
A study conducted by the department of psychiatry of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMC&H) has revealed that at least 30% of the patients who recovered from the virus reported back with depression while 40% developed symptoms of anxiety.
Recovering from the virus seems to be first of the many battles that Covid-19 patients have to fight.
A study conducted by the department of psychiatry of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMC&H) has revealed that at least 30% of the patients who recovered from the virus reported back with depression while 40% developed symptoms of anxiety.
While fighting the virus is a task in itself, many patients had to put up with societal stigma that ended in job losses and alienation, even after they recovered.
Prof (Dr) Rupesh Chaudhary of the department of psychiatry said, “Every day, we come across at least two cases of depression that are directly caused due to job loss. Patients report that they were thrown out by their employers on suspicion that they may still end up infecting others.”
He added that brain fog, which causes forgetfulness, confusion, impaired attention and memory, is also a common after-effect of Covid-19.
“Due to this people are unable to resume their work and hence face a financial crisis which becomes another risk factor for impending psychiatric disorders,” said Dr Chaudhary.
Fake news, social media adding to woes
While stressing on the judicious use of social media, Dr Chaudhary said that fake news and excess use of social media are also adding to stress and anxiety levels among patients.
“If not Covid, fake news about Covid is doing more harm to patients. A lot of patients suffering from sleep disorders due to excessive worry. We have come across cases where people take baths repeatedly, change their clothes four times a day and clean locks and door handles frequently due to fear of catching the infection again. A lot of this stress is caused by the long time they spent in isolation,” said Chaudhary.
“These psychological symptoms can trigger the onset of psychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorders, phobias, anger problems, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol abuse, and behavioural changes such as avoiding crowded places and frequent hand washing,” he said.
“This in turn can lead to a substantial increase in loneliness, domestic violence, child abuse among other problems,” Dr Chaudhary added.
Dr Pankaj Kumar, assistant professor, department of psychiatry, DMCH says, “We are experiencing an upsurge in the cases of anxiety, depression and PTSD among Covid survivors. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has become markedly noticeable as people become obsessed with fear of contamination, excessive worries and apprehensions of being re-infected or becoming a source of spread of infection among their loved ones.”
“Stigma against healthcare workers and survivors of the Covid-19 infection has resulted in harassment, discrimination and social isolation. Stigmatised individuals may experience emotional disturbance, anxiety and depression,” he added.
Mediation, yoga proving remedial pills
Dr Chaudhary said, “Covid-19 pandemic has significantly changed our lifestyles and outlook towards life. We have a tough challenge to prove our survival both in terms of physical and mental wellbeing in this crisis situation, and even after the pandemic is curtailed.”
“Some of the essentials for good mental health includes keeping calm, doing yoga and meditation, following the precautions diligently, maintaining social distancing, developing a positive attitude, avoiding excessive screen time and Covid news watching, having a balanced diet and a good sleep, doing some physical activity, not drinking or smoking, maintaining digital connections with friends, trying to get back to routine life and keeping yourself busy.”
