Psychological stress from the pandemic may be widespread, but those who have had COVID-19 are at much higher risk for new mental health problems than individuals who have managed to avoid the virus, according to a new study.

Researchers compared nearly 154,000 people who survived at least a month after a SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis to more than 5.6 million peers without prior COVID infections. Over the course of one year, infection survivors were at 35 per cent higher risk of new anxiety disorders, 39 per cent higher risk for new depressive disorders, 55 per cent higher risk for new use of antidepressants, 34 per cent higher risk for a new opioid use disorder, and 20 per cent higher risk for a new non-opioid substance use disorder.

They were also at 80 per cent higher risk for newly detected neurocognitive decline and 41 per cent higher risk for a new diagnosis of sleep disorders. The risks for these problems “were increased even among people who were not admitted to hospital” but were highest among those who had been hospitalised for COVID-19, the researchers reported in The BMJ.

“To all the people who are suffering from one or more of these conditions: you are not alone,” said study leader Ziyad Al-Aly of Washington University in St Louis.

“Seek help. It is always better to get these things identified and treated early.”

The problem needs attention from policy makers and governments “before it balloons into a much larger crisis,” he said.