Association between depression and three key COVID-19-related outcomes: The SHARE study

This study investigated the potential associations between preexisting depression and COVID-19 vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 infection risk, and long COVID among middle-aged and older Europeans, based on the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). A total of 31,115 participants were included to assess the relationship between depression and COVID-19 vaccination 11,146 to evaluate depression-related SARS-CoV-2 infection risk, and 11,142 to study the impact of depression on the occurrence of long COVID. Multivariable logistic model was performed and odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. Compared to non-depressed individuals, those with depression were 0.72 times less likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (95% CI: 0.67–0.77), had a 1.15 times higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (95% CI: 1.02–1.30), and were 1.21 times more likely to develop long COVID (95% CI: 1.05–1.38), with these associations strengthening as the severity of depression increased. Preexisting depression might be linked to reduced COVID-19 vaccination odds and an elevated risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and long COVID, although further high-quality prospective studies with larger samples are needed to confirm the findings.