World’s largest study links COVID-19 infection with mental health and neurological conditions

The study analysed data from 236,379 COVID-19 survivors to assess how this viral infection affects the brain and the mind.


One in three COVID-19 survivors were diagnosed with a neurological or psychiatric condition within six months of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This was the key finding of a recent study published by The Lancet Psychiatry.

Anxiety (17%) and mood disorders (14%) were the most common mental health conditions diagnosed. Neurological diagnoses such as stroke and dementia were rarer but were present in some patients.

About the study
Researchers analysed data from the electronic health records of 236,379 COVID-19 patients from the US. The study analysed data from all COVID-19 patient who were older than 10 years and had become infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus during 2020. This cohort was compared with a group of 105,579 patients diagnosed with influenza and 236,038 patients diagnosed with any respiratory tract infection over the same time period.

The results of their analyses on the COVID-19 cohort showed that the most common diagnoses were anxiety disorders (occurring in 17% of patients), mood disorders (14%), substance misuse disorders (7%), and insomnia (5%). For neurological disorders, the incidence was lower, and included 0.6% for brain haemorrhage, 2.1% for ischaemic stroke, and 0.7% for dementia.

Compared to the cohort with influenza, patients with COVID-19 had an overall 44% greater risk of neurological and mental health diagnoses, and a 16% greater risk compared to the patient group with respiratory tract infections.

“Our results indicate that brain diseases and psychiatric disorders are more common after COVID-19 than after flu or other respiratory infections, even when patients are matched for other risk factors,” said Dr Max Taquet, a co-author of the study, from the University of Oxford, in a press release.

“The study cannot reveal the mechanisms involved, but does point to the need for urgent research to identify these, with a view to preventing or treating them,” he added.

Relevance for Australia
The impact of COVID-19 in the mental and neurological health of Australians is still a topic of investigation. In Australia there have been nearly 30,000 cases of COVID-19 and 909 deaths and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported a rise in the use of crisis lines and mental health services since the onset of COVID-19. However, further research is needed to understand the actual impact of COVID-19 on mental and neurological health.

The findings of this new study highlight the need to gain a better understanding of the scope and magnitude of COVID-19 related mental and brain disorders. “[this] study points us towards the future, both in its methods and implications. Researchers need to be able to observe and anticipate the neurological and psychiatric outcomes of future emerging health threats by use of massive, international, real-world clinical data,” said Dr Jonathan Rogers, from University College London, in a press release.

For information about mental health resources for those affected by COVID-19, head to this website, which provide a list of support services.