Association between COVID-19 infection and risk of mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To systematically review and meta-analyse the association between COVID-19 and the risk of mental disorders. METHODS We searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the reference lists of systematic reviews and included cohort studies assessing the association between COVID-19 and mental disorders. Two reviewers independently performed literature screening, data extraction, and the risk of bias assessment. We conducted a random-effect meta-analysis to assess the association and calculated the pooled risk ratio with 95 % confidence interval. RESULTS Twenty-eight cohorts with a total of 977,434,207 participants proved eligible. We revealed a 40 % increased risk (RR = 1.40, 95 %CI: 1.23 to 1.59; absolute risk difference = 31 more per 1000 persons, 18 more to 45 more) of mental disorders in patients with COVID-19 compared with non-exposed individuals. Moreover, COVID-19 may be related to the risks of anxiety or fear-related disorders, mood disorders, bipolar or related disorders, depressive disorders, unspecified mood disorders, neurocognitive disorders, dementia, mild cognitive disorders, unspecified neurocognitive disorders, psychotic disorders, stress and adjustment disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, unspecified stress and adjustment disorders, and prescriptions for psychotropic medications. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest an association between COVID-19 and risk of mental disorders, as well as the prescriptions for psychotropic medications. It is imperative for individuals to become vigilant of mental health problems that may arise following COVID-19.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  General Hospital Psychiatry

• Publication date

  2025-10-01

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Psychology

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2025.10.008PMID 41086559
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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