Depression, Anxiety & Suicidal Thoughts Increasing Amid COVID Pandemic

CBS Denver

March 3, 2021

DENVER (CBS4) – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, so does its impact on mental health. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost in the last year, and not just from the virus. Many Coloradans have developed depression and anxiety, as well as increased substance use. About a third of COVID survivors may develop posttraumatic stress disorder, too.

According to a recent study reported in a JAMA Psychiatry research letter, about 30% of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 developed PTSD. Of the hundreds of patients followed for the study, those who developed PTSD were more likely to be women.

“Some of the risk factors are being female, having a prior mental health diagnosis, having experienced delirium during the acute phase of the illness as well as protracted physical symptoms after no longer ill,” Dr. Nati Geva, a psychologist with the HealthOne Behavioral Health and Wellness Center in Aurora, explained.

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