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Rethinking mental disorders in COVID-19: evidence from prepandemic longitudinal data
Diana Czepiel1,2, Els van der Ven2,3, Marit Sijbrandij2,3
1Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, Parnassia Groep, The Hague.
Current Opinion in Psychiatry
|July 20, 2026
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic did not cause widespread mental health decline in individuals with pre-existing conditions. Some symptom changes occurred, but overall outcomes were nuanced, not universally negative.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Mental Health Research
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global health and daily life.
- Understanding its effects on individuals with pre-existing mental disorders is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize longitudinal evidence on mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To examine prepandemic symptom measurements in individuals with pre-existing mental disorders.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and synthesis of longitudinal studies.
- Analysis of mental health outcomes including symptom levels and trajectories.
Main Results:
- Symptom exacerbation observed in bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, substance use disorders, and contamination-related OCD.
- Symptom improvement noted in bipolar disorders; mixed patterns in autism spectrum, schizophrenia spectrum, and PTSD.
- Depressive, anxiety, anorexia nervosa, and non-contamination OCD symptoms remained largely stable.
- Individuals with chronic or higher prepandemic symptoms showed more stable/improving trajectories.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence does not suggest generalized mental health deterioration in this population.
- Disorder-specific differences exist, influenced by pandemic context and individual factors.
- More methodologically diverse research is needed to understand mechanisms and differential impacts.
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