Covid: in an investigation they associate vaccination with a decrease in depression and anxiety

A study done by the Technological Institute of Buenos Aires (ITBA) analyzed the levels of depression and generalized anxiety disorder –(GAD)– during two moments of the pandemic, November 2020 and May 2021, and found that people who were vaccinated against Covid-19 suffered fewer symptoms of depression than those who did not.

The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry on June 23, surveyed 6,107 people from the Buenos Aires metropolitan area (AMBA) between the ages of 18 and 50 through online questionnaires in which they asked to report symptoms of GAD and depression, vaccination status, frequency of activity physical, labor condition and work modality. The working hypothesis established that these factors could act as possible protectors of the mental health of the population after such a prolonged period of pandemic.

According to the data presented, in November 2020 the percentage of the population with symptoms of high anxiety was close to 45% and 48% showed signs of depression. Later, in May 2021 the highest levels of both depression and GAD were found —above 55%— and that later dropped back to below 45% in April 2022.

“What we saw was that as the vaccination progressed, anxiety and depression decreased, not because of the vaccine itself, but because of the changes that it brought about: feeling more protected, going back to work in person, seeing loved ones, socializing. In science we can never left ear directly, but we did find a correlation between vaccination and lower depression,” he told THE NATION Pedro Benedetti, bioengineer and lead author of the study.

Furthermore, the study postulated that, regardless of immunization status, GAD levels during the second wave they were higher than during the first, possibly due to the existing doubts among the population regarding vaccines. In this line, from the ITBA they highlighted that in Argentina the first wave of Covid-19 occurred when there were still no approved drugs, but the second surprised the country in the midst of the mass immunization campaign.

Benedetti added that the most marked distinction was observed in gender: “In general, women always tend to have higher levels than men in terms of mental health. Another difference is in young people – between 18 and 30 years old – who also always have higher levels than adults, ”she said.

Generalized anxiety was measured using the seven-item GAD scale. This instrument gathers information on the symptoms during the two weeks prior to completing the questionnaire. Respondents answer seven questions on a scale of zero to three, with zero being “not at all” and three being “almost every day”. Thus, the total score can range from zero to 21. Results from zero to four represent minimal anxiety; from five to nine, mild; from 10 to 14, moderate and from 15 to 21, severe.

For its part, depression was weighted using a patient health questionnaire (PHQ). Each respondent answers nine questions that describe symptoms considering the last two weeks. In this case, the answers also range from zero to three, with zero being “not at all” and three being “almost every day”. Here the total score can range from zero to 27. Scores from zero to four suggest minimal depression; from five to nine, mild; from 10 to 14, moderate; from 15 to 19, moderately severe and from 20 to 27, severe.

Researchers from the ITBA Life Sciences department Diego Moncada, Alejo Barbuzza, Franco Moscato, Victoria Reppucci, Celina Goyeneche, Cynthia Katche, Jorge H. Medina, Haydee Viola and Fabricio Ballarini also participated in the study.

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