A study by researchers at King’s College London analyzing data from more than 29 million individuals in England found that COVID-19 has had a lasting and disproportionate impact on diagnosis rates for several conditions. Depression has been the most affected, with nearly one-third fewer diagnoses than expected compared with pre-pandemic trends. The study examined trends in age- and sex-standardized diagnosis rates for 19 long-term conditions from April 2016 through November 2024, comparing observed post-COVID diagnoses with expected rates projected from pre-pandemic patterns.
Results found that depression diagnoses were 27.7% below expected. While rates dropped early in the pandemic and showed some recovery by late 2021, they fell sharply again starting in 2022. This trend was most pronounced among adults aged 20 to 39 years among individuals of white or mixed ethnicity. Other conditions affected include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and osteoporosis.
Disparities and Recovery Patterns
The study revealed unequal recovery in diagnosis rates. Dementia diagnoses returned to expected levels for white individuals and those living in less deprived areas but remained low among other ethnic groups and individuals living in more deprived communities. Diagnosis rates may be lower due to growing pressure on the National Health Service (NHS), delays in formal diagnoses, and growing numbers of people receiving mental health support without a depression diagnosis, according to the study authors.
In contrast, chronic kidney disease (CKD) diagnoses increased above expectations by 34.8%, accounting for about 359,000 additional cases. The rise in CKD diagnoses may reflect increased testing and greater awareness following guideline changes and the introduction of new treatments, or the pandemic itself may have contributed to increased CKD through direct effects of COVID-19 infection or delays in diagnosing related conditions such as diabetes.
The findings underscore an increasingly important role for pharmacists and healthcare providers in identifying potential gaps in care, as some patients may be receiving treatment for symptoms without a formal diagnosis or may not yet be engaged with the health care system at all.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/study-finds-persistent-gaps-in-diagnoses-for-depression-and-chronic-conditions-after-covid-19