The World Health Organization noted this year that anxiety and depression increased by 25% across the globe in just the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. And researchers have continued to find more evidence that the coronavirus wreaked havoc on our mental health.
In a 2021 study, more than half of American adults reported symptoms of a major depressive disorder after a coronavirus infection. The risk of developing these symptoms — as well as other mental health disorders — remains high up to a year after you’ve recovered.
It’s not surprising that the pandemic has had such a huge impact. "It’s a seismic event,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis and the chief of research and development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System.