Mental health issues double patients' risk of death from COVID-19

Mental health issues double patients' risk of death from COVID-19
Mental health issues double patients' risk of death from COVID-19

Patients with mental health disorders are at a high risk of dying from COVID-19, a new study suggests.

Researchers at Aix-Marseille University in Marseille, France, compiled results from 16 papers on the topic to compare mortality risk for patients who did and did not have a mental health disorder.

Overall, patients with mental health disorders were 1.8 times more likely to die from COVID-19.

What's more, those with severe conditions - such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder - were 2.3 times more likely to die.

The researchers say the findings provide more evidence for why these patients should be a priority for vaccination and other Covid prevention efforts.

Patients with mental health disorders were 1.8 times more likely to die from Covid than those without a diagnosis, a new study finds (file image)

Patients with mental health disorders were 1.8 times more likely to die from Covid than those without a diagnosis, a new study finds (file image) 

Researchers compiled results from 16 studies on this topic, finding that overall mental health disorder patients are about twice as likely to die from Covid as those without a diagnosis

Researchers compiled results from 16 studies on this topic, finding that overall mental health disorder patients are about twice as likely to die from Covid as those without a diagnosis

While dementia and other neurological conditions are known to be risk factors for severe Covid, scientists are still learning about how the disease intersects with mental health disorders.

Mental health disorders range from severe conditions - such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder - to more common ones, like anxiety and depression.

Anxiety disorders impact about 40 million adults in the U.S., or 18 percent of the population, according to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America.

It's common for adults with mental health conditions to also suffer from a physical condition, like diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and substance abuse - many of these physical conditions are also Covid risk factors.

In addition, mental health disorder patients are likely to have reduced access to healthcare and other socioeconomic barriers. 

These barriers can lead to worse Covid outcomes as well.

Some past studies have found that severe mental health disorders are linked to a higher risk of dying from Covid. But there's less established information on other, less-severe conditions.

A new study published Tuesday in JAMA Psychiatry helps fill this information gap.

The study was led by Dr

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