Many Covid-19 survivors are likely to be at greater risk of developing mental illness, psychiatrists said on Monday, after a large study found 20 per cent of those infected with the coronavirus are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder within 90 days. Anxiety, depression and insomnia were most common among recovered Covid-19 patients in the study who developed mental health problems, and the researchers also found significantly higher risks of dementia, a brain impairment condition. Doctors and scientists around the world urgently need to investigate the causes and identify new treatments for mental illness after Covid-19, Harrison said. The study also found that people with a pre-existing mental illness were 65pc more likely to be diagnosed with Covid-19 than those without. Mental health specialists not directly involved with the study said its findings add to growing evidence that Covid-19 can affect the brain and mind, increasing the risk of a range of psychiatric illnesses.

Source: Pakistan Today November 10, 2020 16:00 UTC