Dengue linked to increased risk of short- and long-term depression in Taiwan

Analysis of the medical records of nearly 50,000 people who had dengue fever in Taiwan suggests that the disease is associated with an increased risk of depression in the short and long term. Hsin-I Shih and colleagues from National Cheng Kung University and the National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan present these findings in the open access journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

People can develop dengue fever after being bitten by a mosquito carrying the dengue virus. Dengue fever can be mild, but it can also be life-threatening, and some people may experience long-term health effects. Previous research has found links between active dengue fever and psychiatric conditions, such as depression and anxiety. However, few studies have examined the long-term risk of such conditions after dengue infection.

To fill this knowledge gap, Shih and colleagues analyzed the medical records of 45,334 dengue patients in Taiwan and, for comparison, 226,670 patients who had not had dengue.

The researchers investigated whether dengue patients were more likely to develop anxiety, depressive disorders and sleep disturbances at different times after infection between 2002 and 2015. To account for other factors that could influence mental health, the dengue patients were grouped with demographically similar non-dengue patients for statistical analysis.

The researchers found that the dengue patients were more likely to develop a depressive disorder at all time frames, including less than three months, three to 12 months, and more than 12 months after their infection. Sleep disturbance was only increased within three to 12 months after infection, and there was no detectable increased risk of anxiety.

When looking more closely at patients whose dengue was severe enough to require hospitalization, researchers found an increased risk of anxiety disorders within the first three months after infection, as well as an increased risk of sleep disorders in the first 12 months. This subgroup also had an increased risk of depression across time frames.

These findings suggest a possible link between dengue fever and subsequent depressive disorder. However, more research is needed to determine whether dengue directly contributes to the development of depression, or whether the association is due to an indirect mechanism.

The authors add: “This study highlights a significant association between dengue fever and an increased risk of depression in both the short and long term. This underscores the need for further research into the mental health consequences of dengue infection.”