Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39866876›Full record

ArticleResearch square2025

Does SARS-CoV-2 Infection Increase Risk of Neuropsychiatric and Related Conditions? Findings from Difference-in-Differences Analyses.

Yong Chen, Yiwen Lu, Jiayi Tong, Dazheng Zhang, Jiajie Chen, Lu Li, Yuqing Lei, Ting Zhou, Leyna Aragon, Michael Becich and 20 more

Abstract readPreprint
In one paragraph

Article in Research square, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

30 authors.

Yong ChenUniversity of Pennsylvania.ORCID 0000-0003-0835-0788
Yiwen LuUniversity of Pennsylvania.
Jiayi TongJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Dazheng ZhangUniversity of Pennsylvania.ORCID 0000-0002-1431-0785
Jiajie ChenUniversity of Pennsylvania.
Lu LiUniversity of Pennsylvania.
Yuqing LeiUniversity of Pennsylvania.
Ting ZhouUniversity of Pennsylvania.
Leyna AragonUniversity of New Mexico.
Michael BecichUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.ORCID 0000-0001-5998-8074
Saul BleckerDepartment of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine.
Nathan BlumDivision of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Dimitri ChristakisSeattle Children's Research Institute.
Maxwell Hornig-RohanRECOVER Patient, Caregiver, or Community Advocate Representative.
Ravi JhaveriDivision of Infectious Diseases, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.
William JonesInfo Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, United States.
Amber KeeblerUniversity of Nebraska Medical Center.ORCID 0000-0002-7246-2859
Kelly KelleherThe Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Susan KimUniversity of California, San Francisco.
Abu MosaUniversity of Missouri School of Medicine.ORCID 0000-0002-8956-1466
Kathleen PajerUniversity of Ottawa Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
Jonathan PlattDepartment of Epidemiology, The University of Iowa College of Public Health.
Hayden SchwenkStanford School of Medicine.
Bradley TaylorMedical College of Wisconsin.ORCID 0000-0002-6414-4172
Levon UtidjianApplied Clinical Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
David WilliamsUniversity of Michigan Medical School.ORCID 0000-0002-5052-4895
Raghuram PrasadDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania.
Josephine EliaDepartment of Pediatrics, Nemours Children's Health Delaware, Sydney Kimmel School of Medicine.ORCID 0000-0002-5037-1622
Christopher ForrestChildren's Hospital of Philadelphia.ORCID 0000-0003-1252-068X

Funding

OTA-21-015A Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Initiative: NYU Langone Health Clinical Science Core, Data Resource Core, and PASC Biorepository CoreOT2HL161847 · NHLBI · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI GROSS, RACHEL SHARON, HORWITZ, LEORA · 2021 to 2025
$651.0M
NHLBI NIH HHS OT2 HL161847
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with increased neuropsychiatric conditions in children and youths, with evidence suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 infection may contribute additional risks beyond pandemic stressors. This study aimed to assess the full spectrum of neuropsychiatric conditions in COVID-19 positive children (ages 5-12) and youths (ages 12-20) compared to a matched COVID-19 negative cohort, accounting for factors influencing infection risk. Using EHR data from 25 institutions in the RECOVER program, we conducted a retrospective analysis of 326,074 COVID-19 positive and 887,314 negative participants matched for risk factors and stratified by age. Neuropsychiatric outcomes were examined 28 to 179 days post-infection or negative test between March 2020 and December 2022. SARS-CoV-2 positivity was confirmed via PCR, serology, or antigen tests, while negativity required negative test results and no related diagnoses. Risk differences revealed higher frequencies of neuropsychiatric conditions in the COVID-19 positive cohort. Children faced increased risks for anxiety, OCD, ADHD, autism, and other conditions, while youths exhibited elevated risks for anxiety, suicidality, depression, and related symptoms. These findings highlight SARS-CoV-2 infection as a potential contributor to neuropsychiatric risks, emphasizing the importance of research into tailored treatments and preventive strategies for affected individuals.

Identifiers

PMID39866876
PMCPMC11760242

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.