➡️ 1 in 5 people live with a mental health condition in any year.
Having a mental health condition not only increases the risk of having a physical illness, it also increases the risk of worse outcomes like hospitalization, complications from the illness, and death. This can happen with illnesses like COVID-19. The CDC has recognized such risks by including mental health conditions (like depression, mood disorders, and schizophrenia) on the list of conditions eligible for a booster dose of the approved COVID-19 vaccines.
❓ Why do mental health conditions increase the risk of getting COVID-19 and worse outcomes from the virus? We don’t exactly know. But we think that 1) Immune response may be altered in people with mental health conditions; 2) Medications for mental health conditions may increase the risk of other physical health issues, which would then increase the risk of getting COVID-19 and having worse outcomes; and 3) Social and environmental factors (like self-care, housing, and social support) may also increase the risk of getting COVID-19.
☑️ On their website, the CDC says that people with “mental health conditions” like mood disorders, depression, and schizophrenia are eligible for a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Other conditions are eligible too, but are not listed. So if you have a mental health condition, please know that you are eligible for a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (People should not be asked to prove that they have a mental health condition. But, please check your state’s website for vaccine providers and requirements or go to vaccines.gov).
❤️🩹 The decision to include mental health conditions on the list of eligible conditions is very important. It recognizes that mental health conditions can have physical effects on the body, which can increase the risks of many illnesses, like COVID-19. Mental health conditions are just as important as physical health conditions. 🦋 Decisions like this from the CDC help us to recognize that mental health conditions influence many aspects of people’s lives. 🦋
Stay safe. Stay sane.
With Love,
Those Nerdy Girls
Additional links:
Recent News Stories:
Study on Association of Mental Health Conditions with Death
Study on Risk of COVID-19 Disease and Death in People with Mood Disorders
