COVID-19 boosters were already advised in October for those with certain high-risk conditions before the federal government’s latest decision this week to authorize them for all adults. Diabetes, heart disease, and mental health issues were all listed on the list.
A rising number of studies have shown that patients with psychiatric problems are more likely to become infected with COVID-19 and to suffer catastrophic consequences as a result.
People with a mental health diagnosis who were hospitalized with COVID-19 did better than others in the Yale New Haven Health System’s five hospitals studied last year.
Luming Li, a psychiatrist who was completing her Master’s degree at Yale University at the time, observed that those with a history of mental illness were more likely to die.
According to Li, who is now the Chief Medical Officer at the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD in Texas, the risk of death from COVID-19 rose up by 50% for people with a history of mental illness compared to those without such a history.
People who had tested positive for COVID-19 and those who had been hospitalized were examined in a separate study released last year.
According to study author Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, people with a history of mental illness were more likely to become infected. Furthermore, “they were more likely to suffer negative outcomes, such as hospitalization and death,” if they contracted the infection.
She cites a number of factors as to why this is the case.
As a result, those who suffer from mental illness may be less likely to take steps like social isolation or wearing face masks to protect themselves from infection.
Second, patients with mental illness are more likely to suffer from a wide range of chronic health conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease.
That they are more likely to have unfavorable results with COVID-19 because of the high incidence of concomitant medical disorders is what Volkow believes.
Mentally ill people are well-known for having shorter lifespans and dying from causes unrelated to their psychiatric diagnoses.
Dr. Ashwin Vasan, president and CEO of Fountain House, a mental health institution, adds, “They suffer prematurely from chronic illnesses, medical neglect,”
As a result, they are among the most isolated people in society and are more likely to develop chronic illnesses as a result of their isolation.
As Vasan points out, “There have been study after study showing that it leads to inflammation, immunologic stress, neurodegenerative decline, immunologic impairment, endocrinological impairment,” According to him, 15 smokes a day is the equivalent of what he’s doing.
Antipsychotics, which are commonly prescribed to treat mental illness, are also linked to a higher risk of developing chronic health conditions, according to Volkow.
In general, “This has been one of the main challenges that we have with the use of antipsychotics overall, which help control certain symptoms in schizophrenia but are negatively associated with a much higher risk of diabetes and hypertension and metabolic diseases,” she explains.
For some psychiatric illnesses, there is a greater risk than for others. Serious mental illness has a larger risk than, instance, mild depression. As Vasan pointed out, mental illness isn’t something that stays the same from one person to the next.
According to him, “People’s severity of mental illness and impairment can ebb and flow depending on the amount of care and support they’re getting,” On a population health epidemiologic level, regardless of whether or not you’re in the midst of a crisis or are managing your chronic mental illness, we know that you are at greater risk.”
Serious mental illness, homelessness, and substance misuse are all associated with a significant risk of infection and severe COVID-19.
Vasan estimates that 40% of the chronically homeless population suffers from mental illness and/or substance abuse.
It is estimated that 40% of those with major mental illness in the United States do not have access to care at all.
he says, “This is a systematically marginalized, sicker population that has less access to care and supports,”
It is for this and other reasons that mental health specialists are pleased that the CDC prioritized persons with mental illness for the COVID-19 immunization, something they believe should have been done far sooner.
But many persons with mental illness, especially those with major mental illness (those who have significant impairments in their everyday functioning), may not be aware of their own risks or the new recommendations, adds Li.
According to Li, health care workers and family members need to know about and assist in vaccinating patients with mental health problems who are at risk for dangerous COVID-19 infections.
At this point in time, she says, “It’s going to be a very important first step to make sure that they have their vaccines to start out with and then, second, to be able to get the boosters,”