SARS-CoV-2 Infection is Associated with Increased Risk of Psychiatric Disorders in the Tikuna Indigenous People of the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest: A Dynamic Mixed Cohort Observational Study.

BACKGROUND

Indigenous Peoples are often more susceptible to epidemics than non-Indigenous populations due unique social, economic, and health-related vulnerabilities. This study investigated the direct psychopathological impact of SARS-CoV-2 Beta coronavirus infection in isolated Tikuna People living in the villages of the Special Indigenous Health District of Alto Rio Solimões in the Brazilian Amazon.

METHODS

In this dynamic mixed cohort study, we compared the incidence of psychopathology in Tikuna Indigenous individuals who were (N = 156) or were not (N = 156) infected with SARS-CoV-2 between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022.

RESULTS

Infected Tikuna People showed increased adjusted relative risk (aRR) compared to uninfected individuals of Major Depressive Disorder [MDD, aRR 1.29 (95% CI: 1.18-1.41), p = 0.001], Panic Disorder [aRR 1.08 (95% CI 1.03-1.13), p = 0.001), Social Phobia [aRR 1.08 (95% CI: 1.01-1.15), p = 0.013], Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD, aRR 1.05 (95% CI: 1.02-1.09), p = 0.002], and decreased aRR of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD, aRR 0.93 (95% CI: 0.88-0.99), p = 0.041), but no changes in the aRR of Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

SARS-CoV-2 infection in Tikuna Indigenous people is associated with a significantly increased risk of MDD, Panic Disorder, Social Phobia, and PTSD. The findings underscore the broader impact of infectious disease on mental health in Indigenous populations and are consistent with the possibility of a biological and/or social basis for this association. Culturally appropriate mental health care and support are encouraged in Indigenous communities, particularly in post-pandemic recovery.