Latent Neuropsychiatric Activation Following COVID-19: Exploring the Role of Infection, Isolation, and Immunization in Post-Pandemic Mental Health Disorders – A Narrative Review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a diverse range of neuropsychiatric issues, prompting concerns regarding its ability to induce mental health disorders in individuals who previously had no psychiatric conditions. Numerous studies have investigated the direct psychological consequences of infection and societal upheaval; however, an intriguing hypothesis has arisen: COVID-19 may serve as a multifactorial trigger that activates dormant psychiatric vulnerabilities. These susceptibilities could arise from genetic, epigenetic, or neurobiological factors that remain asymptomatic until provoked by external stressors. This narrative review examines how SARS-CoV-2 infection, extended periods of social isolation, collective trauma experiences, and immune responses following vaccination might interact to disturb mental stability. We discuss mechanisms such as neuroinflammation, dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and stress-related changes at the epigenetic level as potential pathways leading to the onset of psychiatric symptoms. Furthermore, we investigate whether mild and transient neuropsychiatric manifestations post-COVID-19 vaccination indicate biological processes at play or are merely reactions to psychogenic stress occurring coincidentally. By synthesizing current clinical insights with theoretical frameworks, we suggest that COVID-19 operates as a "multi-trigger agent" capable of revealing or hastening psychiatric disturbances in susceptible individuals. Acknowledging this dynamic presents significant opportunities for early detection strategies, focused interventions tailored for those affected by these challenges during the pandemic era.