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Review
. 2023 Aug 21:18:26331055231191513.
doi: 10.1177/26331055231191513. eCollection 2023.

The Relationship Between COVID-19 and the Development of Depression: Implications on Mental Health

Padmashri A Shetty  1 , Lena Ayari  2 , Jessica Madry  2 , Colton Betts  2 , Diana M Robinson  3 , Batool F Kirmani  2   4
Affiliations
Review

The Relationship Between COVID-19 and the Development of Depression: Implications on Mental Health

Padmashri A Shetty et al. Neurosci Insights. .

Abstract

Initially, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), was predominantly considered to primarily affect the respiratory system. However, later studies revealed that it also affects brain function through its ability to bind to the angiotensin-converting enzyme type 2 (ACE2) receptors expressed on neural cells. Our study involved a comprehensive review of literature aiming to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 and the development of depression. Our analysis shows a connection between these 2 conditions, as a consequence of the inflammatory response in the nervous system to the COVID-19 virus and the psychophysiological effects of the pandemic. In COVID-19 patients, depression can arise either due to the direct viral infection of the brain or as a result of an indirect immune response triggering neuroinflammation after a cytokine storm. The resulting depression can be treated with non-pharmacological therapies such as psychotherapy, antidepressant medications, or a combination of these treatments depending on the severity of the symptoms.

Keywords: COVID-19; Depression; antidepressants; cytokine storm; neuroinflammation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Mechanism of action of action of SARS-CoV-2 in the central nervous system.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Role of inflammatory markers in post-COVID depression.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Management of depression.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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