COVID-19 vaccination boosts mental health along with immunity, study
finds

Date:
February 15, 2022
Source:
Elsevier
Summary:
Receiving at least one vaccine dose was associated with
statistically significant declines in multiple psychological
distress factors, researchers report in a new study.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 measurably improved the psychological
well- being of participants in the Understanding Coronavirus in
America study, a large longitudinal look at the impact of the pandemic
on individuals in the United States. Vaccination was associated with
declines in distress and perceived risks of infection, hospitalization,
and death. The study, appearing in the American Journal of Preventive
Medicine, published by Elsevier, validates the intuitive but previously unanswered questions of whether becoming vaccinated reduces perceived
risks associated with COVID-19, and whether the reduction of these fears
leads to improvements in mental health and quality of life.


==========================================================================
"Our study documents important psychological benefits of vaccination
beyond reducing the risk of severe illness and death associated with
COVID-19," said lead investigator Jonathan Koltai, PhD, Department of Sociology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.

Psychologic distress and anxiety increased sharply across the
population following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several factors contributed, such as widespread job and income loss, food insecurity,
social isolation, caregiving burdens, substance abuse, and racialized discrimination. Depressive symptoms persisted and increased into 2021 for
those experiencing an accumulation of stress exposures. Not surprisingly,
many individuals are also experiencing anticipatory fears that contribute
to rising mental health problems.

Data from a nationally representative study of 8,090 adults who were interviewed regularly between March 2020 and June 2021 revealed declines
in COVID-related risk perceptions and psychological distress following vaccination. Specifically, adults who received at least one dose of the
COVID- 19 vaccine between December 2020 and June 2021 reported a 7%
relative reduction in mental distress, as measured using the Patient
Health Questionnaire 4 (PHQ- 4) distress scores, from average levels in
the survey period immediately prior to vaccination.

Reductions in distress were partially explained by declining risk
perceptions following vaccination. Becoming vaccinated was associated
with a 7.77 percentage point decline in perceived risk of infection, a
6.91 percentage point decline in perceived risk of hospitalization, and
a 4.68 percentage point decline in perceived risk of death. Adjusting for
risk perceptions decreased the vaccination?distress association by 25%.

These effects persisted and became stronger up to at least eight weeks following vaccination. It is noteworthy that while responses from
vaccinated and never-vaccinated participants followed similar trends pre-vaccination, they significantly diverged post-vaccination. Becoming vaccinated made people feel safer in addition to being safer.

The impact of vaccination on mental health varied by race/ethnicity. The largest reductions in distress were observed among American Indians (AI)
and Alaska Native (AN) individuals, who have suffered disproportionately
from COVID-19. The breakout among racial/ethnic groups was proportional
to the overall US population during the study period, with the highest
rates of vaccination observed among Asian and Pacific Islanders, and
the lowest rates of vaccination observed among Black participants.

With the rapid rise of the Omicron variant in late 2021 and early 2022,
urgent measures are needed to increase vaccination rates and achieve
vaccine equity, both locally and globally. These efforts need to be
coupled with effective communication about the benefits, both physical
and mental, associated with vaccination.

Dr. Koltai stressed, "To ensure these benefits are widely shared,
efforts to increase vaccination and booster rates in early 2022
need to prioritize equitable distribution and access to vaccines."
special promotion Explore the latest scientific research on sleep and
dreams in this free online course from New Scientist -- Sign_up_now_>>> ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Elsevier. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Jonathan Koltai, Julia Raifman, Jacob Bor, Martin McKee, David
Stuckler.

COVID-19 Vaccination and Mental Health: A Difference-In-difference
Analysis of the Understanding America Study. American Journal of
Preventive Medicine, 2021; DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.11.006 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220215125454.htm

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