1 / 13Covid survivors are at increased risk of suffering depression, sleep problems and drug misuse, a major US study has found. 2 / 13A growing body of research has linked beating the virus to health problems months down the line such as fatigue and brain fog.3 / 13But now a study of 150,000 people has linked the infection with much more severe mental health problems. 4 / 13Researchers found Covid survivors were 40 per cent more likely to be depressed or struggle sleeping, and 20 per cent more likely to abuse substances within a year of catching Covid.5 / 13They also had a slightly higher risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal thoughts and panic attacks.6 / 13And the more severe their infection was, the more likely they were to report a mental health issue, which suggests Covid may be playing a role.7 / 13The paper — published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) — was observational and could not establish a cause. But depression and anxiety are already linked to 'long Covid', an umbrella term that covers a range of ailments people experience after an infection.8 / 13Evidence is already mounting that Covid damages blood vessels, including ones in the brain, which could explain the lingering symptoms.9 / 13Researchers from St Louis University looked at 150,000 military veterans who were mostly male, in their 60s and tested positive up to January 2021. Participants were tracked for a year. 10 / 13They were compared to a group of 5.6million veterans who had not caught the virus by this date. 11 / 13There were roughly 15 extra cases of depression per 1,000 people among the Covid survivors group.12 / 13Suicidal thoughts were around 46 per cent more common among those who caught the virus, with about two extra cases per 1,000 people. 13 / 13They were also more likely to suffer sleeping problems, with 24 extra cases per 1,000 people.