Up to a third of patients who have been hospitalised with covid-19 develop serious mental health problems, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, a new report has warned.

The findings have been revealed as it was announced a new national network will be set up to help support patients who have been treated in hospital due to the virus.

The charity ICU Steps will connect intensive care unit (ICU) survivors and their families across Scotland through patient-led support groups, backed by almost £200,000 of Scottish Government funding.

It comes after a study commissioned by the Scottish Government made a number of recommendations on how mental health services can be improved to help survivors of the virus.

The report by psychiatrist Dr Nadine Cosset says up to one-third of covid patients admitted to hospital develop serious mental health consequences, including depression, anxiety, PTSD and cognitive problems.

The emergence of ‘long covid’ – used for sufferers experiencing long-term symptoms of the virus – is also being recognised as “very significant and distressing”.

More than 4,300 covid patients have so far been discharged from hospital in Scotland, including around 570 from ICU.

“Given the scale of the covid pandemic, this increased health burden will have a significant impact upon Scotland’s mental health services,” the report says.

“Mental health services in Scotland are not currently configured to meet these needs, nor do they have the capacity.

“The mental health consequences of covid are interwoven with its physical complications, making specialty-based follow-up services not well suited to meet the needs of these complex issues.”

Other recommendations in the report including the appointment of covid mental health lead clinicians in each locality, which it says should be developed into a network across the country.

Multidisciplinary covid rehabilitation teams should be strengthened and more information provided to patients through a new digital platform.

The report also calls for continuing improvements to support for bereaved families and health staff.

Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey said most patients would go on to make a full recovery, but for others there is a higher risk of developing mental health issues.

“We welcome the report by Dr Nadine Cossette which sets out a number of actions to improve mental health and wellbeing of patients,” she said. 

“The creation of a national peer support network, led by patients, will be a significant first step to ensuring that services supporting those who have been affected are well placed to respond.”

Dr Cossette said: “Mental health care is crucially important to patients recovering from covid-19.

“I am pleased the Scottish Government has recognised this and I look forward to ensuring patients and families across Scotland have access to good mental health care that is well integrated with physical health recovery services.”

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