Last Updated on December 29, 2021 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
Various social media posts claim that there is a link between Post Pandemic Stress Disorder and Covid-19 Vaccine. We fact checked and found this claim to be False.
The Claim
“So the vaccine has got nothing to do with it? Not worth investigating? Only asking.” says a social media post that refers to a news published about increasing heart problems in Britain due to post pandemic stress disorder. The post can be found here and a screenshot is attached below.
Similar posts can also be seen here, and here.
Fact Check
What is Post Pandemic Stress Disorder?
Post Pandemic Stress Disorder (PPSD) is a newly coined term in the field of mental health that denotes stress caused due the situation of pandemic.
According to resources, despite modern advances in medicine, COVID-19 has caused more than 1 million reported deaths in less than a year. Aside from the death toll, the pandemic has triggered an array of emotional, physical, and economic issues.
COVID-19 has led to diverse mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and other trauma- and stress-related disorders.
This trauma is what some medical professionals are calling post-pandemic stress disorder, a form of COVID-19-induced Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While PPSD is not yet a recognized mental health condition, some experts strongly believe it should be.
What are the symptoms?
According to Psychotherapist Owen O’Kane, who coined the term PPSD, symptoms of PPSD are similar to PTSD and can vary from person to person. These might include increased anxiety, low motivation, feeling hopeless or powerless, disrupted sleep, changes in appetite, feeling numb, being increasingly angry or irritated, negative or catastrophic thinking, withdrawing socially, feelings of struggling to cope and “I can’t be bothered with anything.”
He further adds that “If you have previously experienced anxiety or depression, the symptoms may be worse.”
Is PPSD caused by Covid-vaccine?
No, there is no evidence which shows that PPSD is caused by Covid-Vaccine. PPSD is caused due to the emotional, physical, and economic issues people faced because of COVID-19. It is related to the detrimental effects of lockdown, such as mental health problems and stress, decreased movement and unhealthy lifestyle habits.
Does PPSD lead to heart problems?
According to the British Heart Foundation, the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak may cause you to feel stressed or worried. Stress alone won’t cause a heart and circulatory disease. But it is linked to unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking that can increase your risk.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that COVID-19 itself is associated with a 16-fold increase in the risk of myocarditis, heart inflammation, compared to individuals without the virus, however, overall risk is low.
Vaccination and precautionary measures are the only options available for everyone to reduce the risk of complications associated with COVID-19. The vaccines have shown no report of causing PPSD. Hence, the claim is false.
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