COVID Depression: Understanding the Connection and How to Cope

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCOVID and DepressionLong COVID and DepressionCausesOther Mental Health EffectsCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

COVID and Depression

Long COVID and Depression

Causes

Other Mental Health Effects

Coping

COVID depression is a term used to describe a common issue some people experience after a COVID infection or as part oflong COVID—sometimes referred to as PASC (post-acute sequelae of COVID-19).

Even after your other symptoms fromCOVID-19have gone away, you might feel sadness, fatigue, and other signs ofdepression. Scientists are still studying how COVID-19 can affect the brain in some people and why this may put them at greater risk of depression.

FG Trade / Getty Images

Is There a Link Between COVID-19 and Depression?

Although scientists were initially most concerned about COVID-19 symptoms such as shortness of breath from lung infection, the virus causing COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) can also affect other body systems, including your brain.

People who have had COVID have a higher rate of depression than people in the general population. You might be more prone to getting depression even after your other symptoms from COVID are gone, and you no longer have an active viral infection.

According to one analysis, roughly 10% to 30% of people may still experience depression symptoms three months after having COVID-19, which may be severe in 3% to 12% of people.

Those with severe COVID-19 symptoms seem to have a greater risk of initial depressive symptoms. However, some studies have shown that people with mild COVID symptoms have a similar risk of post-COVID depression as people who had more severe infections that required hospitalization.

Long COVIDbroadly refers to symptoms still present at least three months after a COVID-19 infection.

Not everyone with long COVID has the same symptoms. Some people have shortness of breath, dizziness, or pain without a clear cause. Others have symptoms characteristic of clinicaldepressionwhile others may have mild depressive symptoms.

For example, many people with long COVID have:

Many people also experience increased anxiety or sadness. In some cases, depression might be part of a long COVID syndrome, with or without additional symptoms.

What Causes Depression in People Who Have Had COVID-19?

Scientists are still learning about what causes depression in people who’ve had COVID-19. They do know that circumstances contribute to COVID-related depression. For example, if you’ve lost income or have to cancel plans due to a COVID-19 infection, you may naturally feel some sadness.

However, the virus that causes COVID-19 also seems to directly affect the brain in ways scientists don’t fully understand. Other infections may also trigger syndromes that can cause symptoms like depression, such as the originalSARS virusorLyme disease.

Scientists theorize thatinflammationplays a role in the development of depression with COVID-19. The COVID-19 virus can trigger immune-signaling molecules that can enter the brain and affect:

Scientists think inflammation plays a role in depression, even in people who have never had COVID-19.

However, the link between COVID and depression is complex. The virus that causes COVID binds to specific receptors in your brain, which might worsen depression. Some scientists speculate that low levels of the virus might remain in the body in some people with long COVID, which could contribute to depression symptoms.

Alterations in the normal immune response (autoimmune disease) may also play a role, but more research on the relationship between autoimmune disease, COVID-19, and depression is needed.

Risk Factors

Some people seem to be at greater risk of depression after COVID, including:

Other Mental Health Effects of the Pandemic

The pandemic significantly increased rates ofanxiety and depressionoverall, even in people who didn’t have COVID-19. This was especially true early in the pandemic before vaccines and targeted treatments were available. Uncertainty about the virus was particularly stressful and profoundly affected people’s lives.

The pandemic also had broader effects, which varied based on individual circumstances. Some people were grieving the loss of loved ones or managing the physical challenges of regaining their health, including from long COVID.

People were also dealing with the indirect impacts of the virus, such as job and income loss, social isolation, and burnout from increased responsibilities at home and/or work. Alcohol-related deaths and rates of suicide also increased.

Many of these trends improved as the impact of COVID lessened and disease outcomes became more predictable. Some scientists believe the overall effects on people’s mental health have been overestimated.

Coping With Depression After COVID-19

Depression after COVID-19 is relatively common, and symptoms decrease with time in most people.

If your depression is severely interfering with your life, reach out to a healthcare provider or mental health professional. It’s especially critical to do so if you are having thoughts of self-harm or suicide. They can help you determine how to best navigate this time.

If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts, call or text988to contact the988 Suicide & Crisis Lifelineand connect with a trained counselor. If you or a loved one is in immediate danger, call911. For more mental health resources, see theNational Helpline Database.

Even if your symptoms are milder, getting input from a mental health provider is often helpful. Depending on your situation and personal preferences, you might consider drug treatments for depression or therapy such ascognitive behavioral therapy(CBT).

Many people benefit from a holistic, multifaceted approach to depression treatment. Some considerations to help you cope include the following:

A holistic approach may also work best if you have depression in the context of other symptoms from long COVID. You may want to connect with a long COVID clinic (facilities specializing in long COVID care), where they can provide additional expertise, resources, and treatment approaches.

Summary

A holistic approach may work best in managing symptoms of COVID depression. Often, a combination of psychological therapy, medication, mind/body approaches, balanced nutrition, and other lifestyle changes are needed.

14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.da Silva Lopes L, Silva RO, de Sousa Lima G, de Araújo Costa AC, Barros DF, Silva-Néto RP.Is there a common pathophysiological mechanism between COVID-19 and depression?.Acta Neurol Belg. 2021;121(5):1117-1122. doi:10.1007/s13760-021-01748-5Shetty PA, Ayari L, Madry J, Betts C, Robinson DM, Kirmani BF.The relationship between COVID-19 and the development of depression: implications on mental health.Neurosci Insights. 2023;18:26331055231191513. doi:10.1177/26331055231191513Renaud-Charest O, Lui LMW, Eskander S, et al.Onset and frequency of depression in post-COVID-19 syndrome: a systematic review.J Psychiatr Res. 2021;144:129-137. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.054Calabrese C, Kirchner E, Calabrese LH.Long COVID and rheumatology: clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic implications.Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2022;36(4):101794. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2022.101794Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and symptoms of long COVID.Choutka J, Jansari V, Hornig M, Iwasaki A.Unexplained post-acute infection syndromes. 2022;28(8):1723].Nat Med. 2022;28(5):911-923. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-01810-6Chen B, Julg B, Mohandas S, Bradfute SB; RECOVER Mechanistic Pathways Task Force.Viral persistence, reactivation, and mechanisms of long COVID.Elife. 2023;12:e86015. doi:10.7554/eLife.86015Knight JS, Caricchio R, Casanova JL, et al.The intersection of COVID-19 and autoimmunity.J Clin Invest. 2021;131(24):e154886. doi:10.1172/JCI154886Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Long COVID basics.Pathirathna ML, Nandasena HMRKG, Atapattu AMMP, Weerasekara I.Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicidal attempts and death rates: a systematic review.BMC Psychiatry. 2022;22(1):506. doi:10.1186/s12888-022-04158-wNational Institutes of Health. National Institute on Alcohol and Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol-related deaths, which increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, continued to rise in 2021.Sun Y, Wu Y, Fan S, et al.Comparison of mental health symptoms before and during the covid-19 pandemic: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis of 134 cohorts.BMJ. 2023;380:e074224. doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-074224Roth A, Chan PS, Jonas W.Addressing the long COVID crisis: integrative health and long COVID.Glob Adv Health Med. 2021;10:21649561211056597. doi:10.1177/21649561211056597Mental Health Foundation.Alcohol and mental health.

14 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.da Silva Lopes L, Silva RO, de Sousa Lima G, de Araújo Costa AC, Barros DF, Silva-Néto RP.Is there a common pathophysiological mechanism between COVID-19 and depression?.Acta Neurol Belg. 2021;121(5):1117-1122. doi:10.1007/s13760-021-01748-5Shetty PA, Ayari L, Madry J, Betts C, Robinson DM, Kirmani BF.The relationship between COVID-19 and the development of depression: implications on mental health.Neurosci Insights. 2023;18:26331055231191513. doi:10.1177/26331055231191513Renaud-Charest O, Lui LMW, Eskander S, et al.Onset and frequency of depression in post-COVID-19 syndrome: a systematic review.J Psychiatr Res. 2021;144:129-137. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.054Calabrese C, Kirchner E, Calabrese LH.Long COVID and rheumatology: clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic implications.Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2022;36(4):101794. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2022.101794Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and symptoms of long COVID.Choutka J, Jansari V, Hornig M, Iwasaki A.Unexplained post-acute infection syndromes. 2022;28(8):1723].Nat Med. 2022;28(5):911-923. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-01810-6Chen B, Julg B, Mohandas S, Bradfute SB; RECOVER Mechanistic Pathways Task Force.Viral persistence, reactivation, and mechanisms of long COVID.Elife. 2023;12:e86015. doi:10.7554/eLife.86015Knight JS, Caricchio R, Casanova JL, et al.The intersection of COVID-19 and autoimmunity.J Clin Invest. 2021;131(24):e154886. doi:10.1172/JCI154886Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Long COVID basics.Pathirathna ML, Nandasena HMRKG, Atapattu AMMP, Weerasekara I.Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicidal attempts and death rates: a systematic review.BMC Psychiatry. 2022;22(1):506. doi:10.1186/s12888-022-04158-wNational Institutes of Health. National Institute on Alcohol and Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol-related deaths, which increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, continued to rise in 2021.Sun Y, Wu Y, Fan S, et al.Comparison of mental health symptoms before and during the covid-19 pandemic: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis of 134 cohorts.BMJ. 2023;380:e074224. doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-074224Roth A, Chan PS, Jonas W.Addressing the long COVID crisis: integrative health and long COVID.Glob Adv Health Med. 2021;10:21649561211056597. doi:10.1177/21649561211056597Mental Health Foundation.Alcohol and mental health.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

da Silva Lopes L, Silva RO, de Sousa Lima G, de Araújo Costa AC, Barros DF, Silva-Néto RP.Is there a common pathophysiological mechanism between COVID-19 and depression?.Acta Neurol Belg. 2021;121(5):1117-1122. doi:10.1007/s13760-021-01748-5Shetty PA, Ayari L, Madry J, Betts C, Robinson DM, Kirmani BF.The relationship between COVID-19 and the development of depression: implications on mental health.Neurosci Insights. 2023;18:26331055231191513. doi:10.1177/26331055231191513Renaud-Charest O, Lui LMW, Eskander S, et al.Onset and frequency of depression in post-COVID-19 syndrome: a systematic review.J Psychiatr Res. 2021;144:129-137. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.054Calabrese C, Kirchner E, Calabrese LH.Long COVID and rheumatology: clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic implications.Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2022;36(4):101794. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2022.101794Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and symptoms of long COVID.Choutka J, Jansari V, Hornig M, Iwasaki A.Unexplained post-acute infection syndromes. 2022;28(8):1723].Nat Med. 2022;28(5):911-923. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-01810-6Chen B, Julg B, Mohandas S, Bradfute SB; RECOVER Mechanistic Pathways Task Force.Viral persistence, reactivation, and mechanisms of long COVID.Elife. 2023;12:e86015. doi:10.7554/eLife.86015Knight JS, Caricchio R, Casanova JL, et al.The intersection of COVID-19 and autoimmunity.J Clin Invest. 2021;131(24):e154886. doi:10.1172/JCI154886Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Long COVID basics.Pathirathna ML, Nandasena HMRKG, Atapattu AMMP, Weerasekara I.Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicidal attempts and death rates: a systematic review.BMC Psychiatry. 2022;22(1):506. doi:10.1186/s12888-022-04158-wNational Institutes of Health. National Institute on Alcohol and Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol-related deaths, which increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, continued to rise in 2021.Sun Y, Wu Y, Fan S, et al.Comparison of mental health symptoms before and during the covid-19 pandemic: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis of 134 cohorts.BMJ. 2023;380:e074224. doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-074224Roth A, Chan PS, Jonas W.Addressing the long COVID crisis: integrative health and long COVID.Glob Adv Health Med. 2021;10:21649561211056597. doi:10.1177/21649561211056597Mental Health Foundation.Alcohol and mental health.

da Silva Lopes L, Silva RO, de Sousa Lima G, de Araújo Costa AC, Barros DF, Silva-Néto RP.Is there a common pathophysiological mechanism between COVID-19 and depression?.Acta Neurol Belg. 2021;121(5):1117-1122. doi:10.1007/s13760-021-01748-5

Shetty PA, Ayari L, Madry J, Betts C, Robinson DM, Kirmani BF.The relationship between COVID-19 and the development of depression: implications on mental health.Neurosci Insights. 2023;18:26331055231191513. doi:10.1177/26331055231191513

Renaud-Charest O, Lui LMW, Eskander S, et al.Onset and frequency of depression in post-COVID-19 syndrome: a systematic review.J Psychiatr Res. 2021;144:129-137. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.054

Calabrese C, Kirchner E, Calabrese LH.Long COVID and rheumatology: clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic implications.Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2022;36(4):101794. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2022.101794

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and symptoms of long COVID.

Choutka J, Jansari V, Hornig M, Iwasaki A.Unexplained post-acute infection syndromes. 2022;28(8):1723].Nat Med. 2022;28(5):911-923. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-01810-6

Chen B, Julg B, Mohandas S, Bradfute SB; RECOVER Mechanistic Pathways Task Force.Viral persistence, reactivation, and mechanisms of long COVID.Elife. 2023;12:e86015. doi:10.7554/eLife.86015

Knight JS, Caricchio R, Casanova JL, et al.The intersection of COVID-19 and autoimmunity.J Clin Invest. 2021;131(24):e154886. doi:10.1172/JCI154886

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Long COVID basics.

Pathirathna ML, Nandasena HMRKG, Atapattu AMMP, Weerasekara I.Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicidal attempts and death rates: a systematic review.BMC Psychiatry. 2022;22(1):506. doi:10.1186/s12888-022-04158-w

National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Alcohol and Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol-related deaths, which increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, continued to rise in 2021.

Sun Y, Wu Y, Fan S, et al.Comparison of mental health symptoms before and during the covid-19 pandemic: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis of 134 cohorts.BMJ. 2023;380:e074224. doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-074224

Roth A, Chan PS, Jonas W.Addressing the long COVID crisis: integrative health and long COVID.Glob Adv Health Med. 2021;10:21649561211056597. doi:10.1177/21649561211056597

Mental Health Foundation.Alcohol and mental health.

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?