COVID-19 and psychosis, depression, obsession and quality of life in Lebanese patients with schizophrenia: Any changes after 5 months of quarantine?

Abstract

Background Previous research revealed an absence of any previous studies reporting the impact that pandemics may have on psychotic symptomology, nor on the physical health of people with psychosis in response to the epidemics of the COVID-19. The direction of the impact of the COVID-19 on schizophrenia is unknown, as the risk of infection could vary from patients to patients according to clinical comorbidities, cognitive impairment, acute symptoms, and family support. To the best of our knowledge, no study has provided details on the variation of symptoms in patients with schizophrenia during the quarantine of COVID-19 outbreak. Therefore, the primary objective of the study is to investigate the variation of psychotic symptoms, depression, obsession and quality of life in patients with schizophrenia before and after 5 months of quarantine and evaluate factors associated with these variations during the quarantine period. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 190 chronic patients institutionalized for schizophrenia for more than 1 year at the Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross. The baseline assessment was done in December 2019; the second assessment was done in August 2020 (5 months after the lockdown). Results Getting updates about the coronavirus minimally, some and most of the times were significantly associated with a decrease in positive psychotic and psychopathologic symptoms 5 months after quarantine compared to before it. Practicing religiosity some and all the time versus not was significantly associated with a decrease in negative, psychopathology symptoms and total PANSS score after 5 months of quarantine compared to before it. Finally, female gender (B = 1.77) was significantly associated with an increase in the WHO Domain 3 score (better social relations) after 5 months of quarantine compared to before it. Conclusion Patients with schizophrenia fare better symptomatically after 5 months of quarantine if they receive constant updates about COVID-19 and if they tended to practice religiosity.

Experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic amongst individuals with severe mental health conditions and caregivers in South Africa: a qualitative study

“…In relation to managing anxiety, caregivers in particular described the role of religion in coping with feelings of lack of control and assisting them in nding acceptance of the uncertainty of their circumstances. Religious faith can be a key coping strategy for people with mental health conditions and families in South Africa [74] and some other LMIC [75,76]. Its function of being a route to nd meaning and hope, as well as a source of support and social connection, can be a key aspect of recovery [11,77,78].…”

Auswirkungen der COVID-19-Pandemie auf das Leben von Menschen mit Schizophrenie

“…Der Großteil der Studien beschreibt negative Auswirkungen der COVID-19-Pandemie auf das Leben von Menschen mit Schizophrenie [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. Andere Studien konnten bei unterschiedlichen untersuchten Faktoren keine Verschlechterung feststellen [18][19][20][21].…”

Investigation of Blockchain for COVID-19: A Systematic Review, Applications and Possible Challenges

“…Blockchain technology is used by public and commercial (hired) agencies to address the problems of plagiarism and other forms of fake material on these sites. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control estimates that 10 million people are affected with this virus every year [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20], making prevention efforts difficult due to a lack of available tools like immunizations and a COVID-19 protection package [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. Numerous studies demonstrated that X-rays are crucial in the initial phases of diagnosis of the virus.…”