Getting COVID-19 vaccine improved mental health and well-being: study

• Researchers set out to understand how COVID-19 vaccination helps alleviate distress in Americans.
• In their study, they found adults who received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine reported a 7 percent relative reduction in mental distress.
• Psychological distress and anxiety increased sharply across the U.S. population since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, as many people lost their jobs, suffered income loss, food insecurity and more.

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on many Americans’ mental health, but a new study found the COVID-19 vaccine helped alleviate some of the psychological distress for those who got the shot.

A group of researchers conducted the Understanding America Study where they interviewed Americans regularly from March 2020 to June 2021. They tested whether vaccination against COVID-19 reduced distress in respondents, including any perceived risks of infection, hospitalization and death.

Their results found that vaccination was associated with a decline in distress, as well as a 7.77 percentage point drop in the perceived risk of getting infected with COVID-19.

Researchers also found a 6.91 percentage point reduction in the perceived risk of hospitalization and a 4.68 percentage point reduction in perceived risk of death.

“Our study documents important psychological benefits of vaccination beyond reducing the risk of severe illness and death associated with COVID-19,” said Jonathan Koltai, assistant professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire and lead investigator of the study, said in a statement.

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However, researchers noted that the effect of vaccination on distress varied by race, with the largest declines seen in American Indian and Alaska Native individuals.

Of those surveyed, Asian and Pacific Islanders had the highest vaccination rate at 78 percent, followed by whites at 64 percent, American Indian and Alaska Natives at 58 percent and Black respondents at 54 percent.

Psychological distress and anxiety have increased sharply across the population since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, as many people lost their jobs and suffered income loss, food insecurity, social isolation, took on caregiving burdens and more.

Research by the Kaiser Family Foundation found about 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder and many adults reported other negative health effects like difficulty sleeping or eating, increase in alcohol consumption or substance use and worsening of chronic conditions due to worry and stress over the coronavirus.

Vaccinations against COVID-19 had a markedly positive effect on many, as researchers found adults who received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine between December 2020 and June 2021 reported a 7 percent relative reduction in mental distress.

“To ensure these benefits are widely shared, efforts to increase vaccination and booster rates in early 2022 need to prioritize equitable distribution and access to vaccines,” said Koltai.

According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 76 percent of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while about 64 percent have gotten two doses. Only 43 percent of the eligible U.S. population eligible for a booster shot have gotten one.

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