The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued an advisory on mental health symptoms and conditions associated with Long COVID. The advisory also includes "evidence-based resources" for their identification and treatment.
"Identification and Management of Mental Health Symptoms and Conditions Associated with Long COVID" was published June 21 through HHS' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the agency announced in a press release. The effects of Long COVID can be "devastating" to the mental health of sufferers, as well as their families and caregivers "due to a number of factors, including chronic illness (both physical and mental), social isolation, financial insecurity, caregiver burnout, and grief," HHS states in the release.
HHS Sec. Xavier Becerra said in the release the advisory is intended to raise awareness of Long COVID symptoms and treatment resources, "especially among primary care practitioners and clinicians who are often the ones treating patients with Long COVID."
“Long COVID has a range of burdensome physical symptoms, and can take a toll on a person’s mental health," Becerra said in the release. "It can be very challenging for a person, whether they are impacted themselves, or they are a caregiver for someone who is affected.”
Anxiety, cognitive impairment, depression, fatigue, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis and sleep disturbances are among mental health conditions associated with Long COVID, the release reports. The conditions can be exacerbated by "social determinants of health" for historically marginalized communities such as racial and ethnic minorities, individuals who identify as LGBTQI+ , those with behavioral health conditions or physical and intellectual disabilities, and populations with limited access to healthcare, according to the release.
SAMHSA Director Miriam Delphin-Rittmon said in the release that the department provides services and supports for patients and caregivers, including FindSupport.gov and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
“People with Long COVID need to be properly identified and, as needed, referred for treatment for mental health conditions, in addition to addressing their physical symptoms,” Delphin-Rittmon said.
