Exploring the hidden mental health consequences of malaria beyond the fever

Abstract

Malaria morbidity has various presentations and the focus now shifts to uncommon signs and symptoms of malaria infection such as cognitive impairment to address the morbidity when the mortality declines. About 50% of children admitted to hospitals due to malaria experience neurological complications due to factors like low blood sugar, inflammation, elevated pressure, decreased oxygen levels, and excitotoxicity. Malaria during pregnancy negatively also impacts children's cognitive, behavioral, and executive function leading to neurodevelopmental delay due to increased susceptibility which can significantly affect maternal and child health, leading to higher rates of underestimated factors like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Despite having the world's second-largest tribal population, India's indigenous and tribal communities and their mental health are less explored and less understood. Western psychological tools and neurocognitive assessment tools are not universally applicable, thus necessitating the development of tailored tools to investigate psychological or neurocognitive impairment. This paper has illuminated the hidden mental health consequences of malaria infection, emphasizing the prevalence, nature, and implications of psychological distress among affected individuals. The findings underscore the importance of recognizing and addressing these psychological consequences in the holistic management and prevention of malaria and its mental health consequences.

Keywords: cerebral malaria; cognitive impairment; malaria; malaria morbidity; mental health; neurocognition; neurological impairment.

Clinical spectrum of neurological manifestations of malaria. Malaria is commonly associated with a range of physical symptoms and diseases, but it also has significant psychological and neurological impacts. These can include mild cognitive impairment, behavioral alterations, attention deficits, memory deficits, anxiety, learning deficits, and broader cognitive deficits.