Psychological symptoms predict long coronavirus disease 2019: a prospective analysis from the Women’s Health Initiative, 2026, Al-Delaimy et al.

[Chandelier]

Psychological symptoms predict long coronavirus disease 2019: a prospective analysis from the Women’s Health Initiative

Spoiler: Authors

Al-Delaimy, Wael K.; Bruno, William; Shadyab, Aladdin; Saquib N, Nazmus; Goveas, Joseph S.

Abstract​

Objective:​

Those with mental illnesses are likely at higher risk of developing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and elderly are disproportionately impacted and as a result suffer more from long COVID.
The aim of this analysis was to determine the associations of preexisting depressive and anxiety symptoms with developing COVID-19 positivity, long COVID-19, and compliance with the use of protective measures against contracting COVID-19.

Methods:​

A subsample (n = 18,820) of the Women’s Health Initiative study cohort completed longitudinal questionnaires on depressive and anxiety symptoms between 1993 and 2021 and reported on COVID-19 testing and compliance-related questions in 2020 and 2021.
Logistic regression analyses were used to prospectively determine associations of a history of mental health symptoms with COVID-related outcomes.

Results:​

Reported history of depressive and anxiety symptoms was not associated with COVID-19 positivity.
However, higher anxiety scores were associated with higher odds of long COVID (OR = 1.05 [95% CI: 1.03-1.07]).
Women with both depressive and anxiety symptoms versus neither symptom had 78% higher odds of long COVID (OR = 1.78 [95% CI: 1.13-2.81 P = 0.001]).
The odds of compliance with COVID-19 mitigation measures was significantly lower among women with previous long-term depressive symptoms (OR = 0.67 [95% CI: 0.55-0.82]), with both long-term depressive and anxiety symptoms (OR = 0.75 (95% CI: 0.61-0.93) P < 0.0001), and with higher long-term perceived stress score (OR = 0.94 [95% CI: 0.92-0.97]).
However, a higher short-term anxiety score during early COVID was weakly associated with the higher odds of compliance of prevention mitigation measures (OR = 1.03 [95% CI: 1.02-1.03]).

Conclusions:​

Older women with past mental health symptoms may be at higher risk of developing long COVID and having lower compliance with COVID prevention measures.

Web | DOI | Menopause

 

[V.R.T.]

However, higher anxiety scores were associated with higher odds of long COVID (OR = 1.05 [95% CI: 1.03-1.07]).
Women with both depressive and anxiety symptoms versus neither symptom had 78% higher odds of long COVID (OR = 1.78 [95% CI: 1.13-2.81 P = 0.001]).

How many people like me were dxed with depression and GAD pre ME/CFS? Anxiety is as bad a name for the DPDR and crippling panic attacks I experienced as chronic fatigue syndrome is for MECFS.

As I've said before, I suspect my pre onset symtoms may have been a prodromal or very mild form of MECFS, but perhaps pw depression and DPDR/panic attacks are neurologically more vunerable to getting stuck in the ME/CFS signalling loop? Perhaps there are shared pathways.

 

[Yann04]

To me it depends entirely on how they measured it. People with very mild ME/CFS or idiopathic chronic physical symptoms are more likely to develop Post-COVID Conditions I believe that’s established.

If pw very mild ME/CFS and idiopathic chronic physical symptoms score higher on average on depression/anxiety questionnaires. And are more likely to be diagnosed as such. I believe that is the case.

Then there is a possibility that could explain the correlation found here.

 

[Eleanor]

'depressive and anxiety symptoms', i.e. answering yes to items on screening questionnaires like 'do you have trouble sleeping' or 'have you stopped or reduced your usual activities', which might be signs of a mental health issue but also might be signs of many other things.

 

[Dolphin]

UC San Diego study cites link between mental health and long COVID in older women

UC San Diego researchers find older women with both depression and anxiety face a 78% higher risk of long COVID, despite similar infection rates. People experiencing mental health illnesses are vulnerable to other diseases and may have trouble following public health guidelines.

www.eurekalert.org

NEWS RELEASE 27-JAN-2026

UC San Diego study cites link between mental health and long COVID in older women​

Peer-Reviewed Publication
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - SAN DIEGO


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Older women who have a history of both depression and anxiety had a 78% higher risk of developing long COVID after a SARS-CoV-2 infection, report University of California San Diego researchers in the Jan. 27, 2026 online edition of the journal Menopause.

“Some people have only anxiety. Some have only depression. When these conditions occur together, they usually indicate more severe mental illness,” said senior author Wael Al-Delaimy, MD, PhD, professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego.

“In this study, we measured the health of women over 20 years by analyzing data from the Women’s Health Initiative. We found that older women with a combined history of both depression and anxiety, before the COVID-19 pandemic, were at the highest risk of long COVID complications.”

Long COVID is a chronic condition in which people experience persistent symptoms that last three months or more after the initial infection.

What the study found

• While women with both long‑term depression and anxiety faced a 78 % greater risk of long COVID, their SARS-CoV-2 infection rates were not higher; only their risk of complications increased.
• Higher anxiety scores increased the likelihood of long COVID symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog and shortness of breath.
• Elevated stress levels also raised the odds of long COVID.
• Mental health history affected safety habits: Women with long‑term depression, or both depression and anxiety, were less likely to wear masks, wash hands or keep social distance. Women who felt anxious during the early pandemic were slightly more likely to follow those rules.

Why it matters

People experiencing mental health illnesses are vulnerable to other diseases and may have trouble following public health guidelines.

“We hope that by characterizing these mental health risk factors public health officials and policymakers can target preventative measures to those with the greatest need,” said co-author William Bruno, MD, MPH, associate physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.

In addition, the community should stay vigilant and care for people who may be dealing with loneliness, isolation or existing mental illness should another pandemic or other isolating event occur, said Al-Delaimy.

The federally funded Women’s Health Initiative is a long-term national study that began in the early 1990s, focusing on the health of postmenopausal women in the United States. The third extension of the study (2020-2027) included COVID-19 surveys. The average participant was 83 years old, and 414 participants met the criteria for long COVID.

Additional co-authors include: Aladdin H. Shadyab, UC San Diego; Nazmus Saquib, Sulaiman Alrajhi University; and Joseph S. Goveas, Medical College of Wisconsin.

The Women’s Health Initiative program is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health and United States Department of Health and Human Services (75N92021D00001, 75N92021D00002, 75N92021D00003, 75N92021D00004, and 75N92021D00005).

Disclosures: The authors do not have any conflicts of interest to report.

DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002727

JOURNAL​

Menopause

DOI​

10.1097/GME.0000000000002727

METHOD OF RESEARCH​

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH​

People

ARTICLE TITLE​

Psychological symptoms predict long coronavirus disease 2019: a prospective analysis from the Women’s Health Initiative

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE​

27-Jan-2026

COI STATEMENT​

The authors do not have any conflicts of interest to report.

 

[rvallee]

Very odd to put out such a press release for such a mediocre study. Almost like it's all about repetition.

“We hope that by characterizing these mental health risk factors public health officials and policymakers can target preventative measures to those with the greatest need,” said co-author William Bruno, MD, MPH, associate physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.

I have no idea how this is even supposed to work out. This is obviously not a thing, there is no such thing as anything "preventative" here that can make any difference about not recovering from an infectious illness, and it's even more bizarre when you consider how obviously circular this argument is, that just like LC is psychologized, as is tradition, so is the incorrect labelling being used to fail yet again. They literally use past mistakes to make the same old mistakes all over again. It feels exactly like people suffering from severe delusions.

It's that the whole thing is so obvious completely ridiculous and yet taken totally seriously that makes it all so bizarre. It's as if people made national policy decisions based on ancient relig... nevermind.