mental health problems are linked to higher rates of high blood pressure, metabolic disease, and heart disease. The study found that depression symptoms were significant among all patients, whether they were infected with COVID-19 or not.
Researchers looked at the scores of the first Patient Healthcare Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which is used to screen for depression, and found a significant increase in PHQ-9 scores during the pandemic. Also Read: Low to moderate stress lowers chance of depression The researchers analysed the scores on the questionnaire, which categorised patients’ depression levels into four categories: none (<10), mild (10-14), moderate (15-19) and severe (>20).
They found a significant increase in the mean PHQ-9 score of 1.5 points over time, indicating an overall rise in depression symptoms.
Furthermore, the study found that, before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 45% of patients reported some degree of depression. However, starting in 2021, this number increased to 55% of patients showing at least some degree of depression.