Depression and other mental health conditions have been added to the Center For Disease Control’s high-risk COVID list. This list includes medical conditions that can make anyone of any age seriously ill due to COVID-19.
A person could be admitted to hospital with severe COVID-19-related illness. They might be placed on a ventilator, and may die from COVID-19. The risk of COVID-19 death in older adults (65 and over) is still higher. However, studiesResearch has shown that many people of racial or ethnic minority backgrounds are experiencing a decline in their ability to live well. Higher ratesPeople with lower ages. People with certain disabilitiesThey are more susceptible to COVID-19. They are also more likely than others to contract COVID-19, and they have poorer outcomes.
Research has shown that certain mental conditions can make people more susceptible to other health-related issues. According to National Alliance on Mental Health – NAMI, “People with depression have a40%higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases than the general population.”Additionally, those with serious mental illness (SMI), such as schizophrenia, are more likely than others to develop health problems. “People with serious mental illness are nearly twice as likely to develop these conditions,”According to NAMI.
What mental health conditions were added?
“Having mood disorders, including depression, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19,”The CDC stated. However, the CDC does NOT list every mood disorder and mental health condition that might fall under its mental health umbrella.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMH), one fifth of Americans and one sixth of children suffer from mental illness every year. According to the CDCThere are over 200 types mental illnesses. According to the CDC, having a diagnosed mental illness/disorder is not the same thing as having poor mental well-being.
These mental health conditions can last for long periods or be short-term. They may also be mild, moderate, severe, or severe.
These Conditions were Added for a Reason
A lot of data shows that COVID-19 mortality rates for people suffering from mental illness are higher than those who don’t have them. A research letter published by the JAMA Network OpenIt was stated that “patients with a prior psychiatric diagnosis, while hospitalized for COVID-19, had a higher mortality rate compared those without a psychiatric condition.”It is not known why death rates are higher among people with mental health issues.
According to a 2018, however, StudySystemic inflammation can be associated with mental disorders. Inflammation can cause damage to the immune system and increase mortality rates.
Another StudyPublished in 2021, the study found that schizophrenia spectrum disorders diagnosis was a risk factor in COVID-19 patients’ mortality. The authors claim that “In comparison with other risk factors, a diagnosis of schizophrenia ranked behind only age in [the] strength of an association with mortality.”
Comorbidities within Mental Health Conditions
In an interview on NPR’s All Things Considered, Dr. Luming LiThe Harris Center for Mental Health chief medical officer and others provided additional insight into the connection between mortality and mental illness diagnoses.
Dr. Nora VolkowDirector of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) stated in an interview that “mental illnesses change people’s behaviors, which can make them less likely to protect themselves from an infection.”
They are more susceptible to developing serious COVID-19, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. People with mental health diagnoses are more likely to feel isolated. This can cause physical and emotional damage. “inflammation, immunologic stress, and neurodegenerative decline,”According to Dr. Ashwin VasanFountain House CEO and president.
Risk factors include lack of support, medical attention, homelessness, substance abuse, and lack of support. It is possible to have serious mental health issues, substance abuse, and homelessness. Vasan stated that “about 40% of our chronically homeless population has serious mental illness and addiction.”
According to the panel, it is important to prioritize booster shots for this group. “This is a systematically marginalized, sicker population that has less access to care and support,”Vasan.
Eligibility for Booster Shots
People with a mental disorder are eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster shot. According to CDCYou should get a booster if your Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was given to you. If you are a high-risk worker or live in a high risk area, you may also be eligible. At least six months should pass before you receive your booster.
Anyone over 18 who received the J&J vaccine series should receive a booster. The J&J vaccine has lower vaccine effectiveness than the other two available vaccines. Those who received the J&J can receive any COVID-19 vaccine authorized in the United States. You should receive a booster at least two months after your J&J shot.
Some states, including California, Maine, New Mexico, West Virginia, Arkansas, Colorado, and Kentucky have expanded booster shots to all fully-vaccinated adults.
You can get free vaccines and boosters at many locations, including hospitals and health departments.