COVID-19 Pandemic Yielded Indirect Increases in Disease Burden
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, July 7, 2025 -- The COVID-19 pandemic yielded indirect increases in disease burden for specific causes, including mental health disorders, according to a study published online July 2 in The BMJ.
Can Chen, from the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China, and colleagues conducted a time-series modeling study to quantify and identify the main causes of increased disease burden due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Globally, the researchers observed increases in the rate of age-standardized disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in terms of absolute difference per 100,000 and relative rate difference by 97.9 and 12.2 percent, respectively, for malaria; 83.0 and 12.2 percent, respectively, for depressive disorders; and 73.8 and 14.3 percent, respectively, for anxiety disorders. These differences were prominent and statistically significant. Increases were also seen in stroke, tuberculosis, and ischemic heart disease. The age-standardized incidence and prevalence per 100,000 increased by 618.0 and 414.2, respectively, for depressive disorders and by 102.4 and 628.1, respectively, for anxiety disorders; age-standardized prevalence also increased for ischemic heart disease and stroke (11.3 and 3.0, respectively). A significant increase was also seen for age-standardized mortality due to malaria (1.3 per 100,000). The most predominant causes of increased DALY burden globally were depressive and anxiety disorders, especially among women and girls. In the African region, malaria had the most severe increased DALY burden, typically affecting children younger than 5 years.
"These findings underscore the urgent need to strengthen health system resilience, enhance integrated surveillance, and adopt syndemic-informed strategies to support equitable preparedness for future public health emergencies," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2025
Further Support and Information on COVID-19
Read this next
One in 10 Mental Health-Related ED Visits Among Youths Involve Boarding
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20, 2025 -- Boarding is a considerable issue for Medicaid-enrolled youths seeking mental health care in emergency departments (EDs), according to a research letter...
Positive Childhood Experiences May Protect Against Disordered Eating During College
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20, 2025 -- Benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) have a protective effect against disordered eating behaviors, according to a study published online Aug. 6...
College Students With Autism Report Higher Rates of Anxiety, Depression
TUESDAY, Aug. 19, 2025 -- College students with autism face higher rates of anxiety and depression than students without autism, according to a study recently published online in...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.