Post-COVID-19 Complications:A Trigger for the Onset of Depression to Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Case Report
Abstract
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with both acute and longterm complications, spanning cardiorespiratory and neuropsychiatric domains. The neuropsychiatric sequelae may stem from immune system dysregulation, inflammatory cytokines, and psychosocial stressors, including threats to personal health, economic
stability, and social standing. This case report presents a 55-year-old male with no prior psychiatric history who developed treatment-resistant depression following COVID-19 infection. The study emphasizes the psychological repercussions of the pandemic, particularly in individuals with fragile premorbid personality structures.
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microorganisms11122959
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[2] Lai C-C, Shih T-P, Ko W-C, Tang H-J, Hsueh P-R. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and
coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19): The epidemic and the challenges. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2020;55(3):105924.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.105924
[3] WHO M. WHO coronavirus (COVID-19) dashboard. World Health Organization; 2021.
[4] Azizi A, Achak D, Saad E, Hilali A, Youlyouz-Marfak I, Marfak A. Post-COVID-19 mental health and its associated factors at 3-months after discharge: A case-control study. Clin Epidemiol Glob Health. 2022;17:101141.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2022.101141
[5] Qamar MA, Martins RS, Dhillon RA, Tharwani A, Irfan O, Suriya QF, et al. Residual symptoms and the quality of life in
individuals recovered from COVID-19 infection: a survey from Pakistan. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2022;75:103361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103361
[6] Yahya AS, Khawaja S, Chukwuma J. The impact of COVID-19 in psychiatry. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord.
2020;22(2):26924. https://doi.org/10.4088/PCC.20l02627
[7] Goldberg JF. Psychiatry’s niche role in the COVID-19 pandemic. J Clin Psychiatry. 2020;81(3):16020. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.20com13363
[8] Pandi-Perumal SR, Zaki NF, Qasim M, Morsy NE, Manzar MD, BaHammam AS, Jahrami H, Ramasubramanian C, Karthikeyan R, Supasitthumrong T, Moscovitch A. Neuropsychiatric consequences of COVID-19 pandemic: a synthetic review from a global perspective. Alpha Psychiatry. 2022;23(4):144. https://doi.org/10.5152/alphapsychiatry.2022.21783
[9] Miller AH, Raison CL. The role of inflammation in depression: from evolutionary imperative to modern treatment target. Nat Rev Immunol. 2016;16(1):22-34. https://doi.org/10.1038/nri.2015.5
[10] Holmes EA, O’Connor RC, Perry VH, Tracey I, Wessely S, Arseneault L, Ballard C, Christensen H, Silver RC, Everall I,
Ford T. Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic: a call for action for mental health science. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020;7(6):547-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30168-1
[11] Palladini M, Mazza MG, De Lorenzo R, Spadini S, Aggio V, Bessi M, Calesella F, Bravi B, Rovere-Querini P, Benedetti F, COVID-19 BioB Outpatient Clinic Study group. Circulating inflammatory markers predict depressive symptomatology in COVID-19 survivors. Cytokine. 2025;186:156839. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cyto.2024.156839
[12] Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Raveendran AV, Giordano R, Arendt-Nielsen L. Long COVID or post-COVID-19
condition: past, present and future research directions. Microorganisms. 2023;11(12):2959. https://doi.org/10.3390/
microorganisms11122959
[13] Yang AC, Kern F, Losada PM, Agam MR, Maat CA, Schmartz GP, Fehlmann T, Stein JA, Schaum N, Lee DP, Calcuttawala K. Dysregulation of brain and choroid plexus cell types in severe COVID-19. Nature. 2021;595(7868):565-71. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03710-0
[14] COVID TG. Psychological impacts and post-traumatic stress disorder among people under COVID-19 quarantine and isolation: a global survey. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(11):5719. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115719
[15] Inder WJ, Castle D. Antidepressant use and hyperprolactinaemia: considerations for COVID-19-related mood disorders. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2022;137:105642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105642
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 11 No 1 (2026): January-February | |
| Section | Case Report(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/crcp.v11i1.22168 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Depression COVID-19 Electroconvulsive therapy Treatment-resistant depression | ||
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Gheibi S, Rezaei O, Ahadi M. Post-COVID-19 Complications:A Trigger for the Onset of Depression to Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Case Report. CRCP. 2026;11(1):1-3.
