<p>Knowledge of Prevention Measures and Information About Coronavirus in Romanian Male Patients with Severe Mental Illness and Severe Alcohol Use Disorder</p>

Abstract

Purpose: Patients with severe mental illness (SMI) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are at higher risk for contracting coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) and for poor outcomes of COVID-19 infection. One reason for this could be the lack of knowledge regarding preventive measures against COVID-19 and the inability of the psychiatric patients to discern misinformation from facts. Patients and Methods: The study design was cross-sectional. We applied one questionnaire that evaluated knowledge of prevention measures and information about COVID-19 (comprised of two sections, each with five questions). The first section evaluated knowledge regarding the official WHO prevention measures against COVID-19, and the second consisted of false information about COVID-19 which examined the ability to identify misinformation about COVID-19. These questionnaires were applied face-to-face to psychiatric male inpatients from a tertiary psychiatric hospital in Bucharest diagnosed with SMI or severe alcohol disorder (SAUD) and to male controls from the community, matched by age and education. Mean scores of patients and controls were compared using Mann-Whitney test. Results: There were 115 male psychiatric patients in total (65 SMI and 50 SAUD) and 57 controls included after the matching procedure. We found statistically significant lower (P<0.05) scores for psychiatric patients compared to controls regarding the prevention and general knowledge of COVID-19 (P<0.001), the WHO information about prevention measures (P=0.041), and the ability to identify misinformation about COVID-19 (P<0.001). The fact that psychiatric patients have less knowledge about prevention measures against COVID-19 and a reduced capacity to discern misinformation suggests that we need to identify new methods to convey correct information to these patients and also to better equip them to handle misinformation regarding COVID-19. Conclusion: Patients with SMI and SAUD are less informed regarding COVID-19 infection and preventive measures compared to controls, while being prone to believing false information about COVID-19 as well.

COVID-19 pandemic and alcohol consumption: Impacts and interconnections

“…The last but not the least is the reverse analysis – how alcohol use disorder may influence the way of dealing with the pandemic from the personal safety perspective. The results of a cross-sectional survey, performed in Romania, on 115 male patients and 57 controls, showed that patients with severe mental illness (SMI) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are at higher risk for contracting COVID-19 and for poor outcomes of COVID-19 infection, one reason being the lack of knowledge regarding preventive measures against COVID-19 and the inability to discern misinformation from facts [ 82 ].…”

Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals with serious mental disorders: A systematic review of the literature

“…Most individuals with SMI had a positive stance regarding measures for preventing COVID-19[ 50 , 51 ], which was related to marriage and a higher level of education[ 51 ]. However, they were on average not as knowledgeable about COVID-19 and measures of prevention as HC[ 52 , 53 ]. This reduced knowledge was associated with a low socioeconomic status, little education, and insufficient social support[ 52 ].…”

“…An increased belief in pandemic-related news was found to be associated with both increased[ 55 ] and decreased[ 50 ] fear in individuals with SMI, which may be related to the nature of information. Regardless of whether these individuals were more or less[ 53 ] informed about COVID-19 and its prevention than HC, they were generally more fearful and worried about the pandemic[ 58 , 76 , 77 ]. This is concerning if it is related to less prevention behavior[ 50 ], because individuals with SMI show more vulnerability to infection with COVID-19 than HC[ 94 , 95 ] and should therefore practice strict measures of prevention.…”

Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Families of People with Severe Mental Disorders Participating in Community Peer Support Groups in Brazil

“…Other studies have shown differences in patients with mental disorders with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a study that assessed the level of general knowledge regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and how to prevent it, patients with a severe mental disorder scored 19.2% lower than the control group on rating scales (Matei et al, 2020 ). On the other hand, compared to the control group without mental disorders, 85% of patients were able to make better use of their free time, with relaxation and meditation activities (González-Blanco et al, 2020 ).…”