Worsening of pre-existing psychiatric conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This study anonymously examined 2,734 psychiatric patients worldwide for worseningof their pre-existing psychiatric condition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Validresponses mainly from 12 featured countries indicated self-reported worsening ofpsychiatric conditions in 2/3rd of the patients assessed that was validated through theirsignificantly higher scores on scales for general psychological disturbance, posttraumaticstress disorder, and depression. Female gender, feeling no control of thesituation and reporting dissatisfaction with the response of the state during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reduced interaction with family and friends increased the worseningof pre-existing psychiatric conditions, whereas optimism, ability to share concerns withfamily and friends and using social media like usual were associated with lessworsening. An independent clinical investigation from the USA confirmed worseningof psychiatric conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic based on identification of newsymptoms that necessitated clinical interventions such as dose adjustment or startingnew medications in more than half of the patients.

A systematic review on sex- and gender-sensitive research in public mental health during the first wave of the COVID-19 crisis

“…Country: The majority of articles concerned single countries, four studies included data from multiple countries (Chan et al, 2020;Gobbi et al, 2020;Kowal et al, 2020;Płomecka et al, Systematic Review: Sex-and gender-sensitive research on mental health during COVID-19 2020). In sum, reported data come from 66 countries (see Figure 2).…”

“…The majority operationalized sex as binary. 15 studies differentiated sex and gender with the additional options non-binary, third, other, intersex, transgender, or self-description (Alonzi, La Torre, & Silverstein, 2020;Chan et al, 2020;Fitzpatrick, Harris, & Drawve, 2020a;Gobbi et al, 2020;Hoffart, Johnson, & Ebrahimi, 2020;Hyland et al, 2020;Kowal et al, 2020;Olcaysoy Okten, Gollwitzer, & Oettingen, 2020;Park et al, 2020;Płomecka et al, 2020;Shevlin, McBride, et al, 2020;Smith et al, 2020;Thomaier et al, 2020;Tzur Bitan et al, 2020;Varshney, Parel, Raizada, & Sarin, 2020), but with comparatively very low numbers of individuals in these categories. Gender in terms of psychosocial gender dimensions (e. g. gender roles) was usually not assessed.…”

“…A number of studies targeted specific populations: healthcare professionals with (Cai et al, 2020;Chew et al, 2020;Jahrami et al, 2020;Liu, Yang et al, 2020;Vanni et al, 2020;Wang, Guo et al, 2020; and without (Al Sulais, Mosli, & AlAmeel, 2020;Civantos et al, 2020;Jahrami et al, 2020;Khanna et al, 2020;Pedrozo-Pupo, Pedrozo-Cortés, & Campo-Arias, 2020;Seyahi et al, 2020;Thomaier et al, 2020;Tzur Bitan et al, 2020;Vanni et al, 2020;Varshney et al, 2020; Systematic Review: Sex-and gender-sensitive research on mental health during COVID-19 2020; Tzur Bitan et al, 2020), and once health anxiety (Özdin & Bayrak Özdin, 2020)) as well as depression symptoms. Subsequently, psychological stress and peri-or posttraumatic stress symptoms (mostly operationalized as COVID-related stress) Gobbi et al, 2020;González-Sanguino et al, 2020;Guo et al, 2020;Karatzias et al, 2020;Odriozola-González, Planchuelo-Gómez, Irurtia, & de Luis-García, 2020;Olaseni et al, 2020;Seyahi et al, 2020;Shevlin, McBride, et al, 2020;Wang, Pan et al, 2020) were also assessed very often. A few studies evaluated suicidal ideation in particular.…”

Heightened Levels of Maladaptive Daydreaming Are Associated With COVID-19 Lockdown, Pre-existing Psychiatric Diagnoses, and Intensified Psychological Dysfunctions: A Multi-country Study

“…Indeed, persons with both preexisting physical and mental health conditions showed higher levels of anxiety ( 28 ) and depression following the pandemic declaration with the disease threat having a more distressing effect among patients with affective disorders ( 29 – 31 ). Gobbi et al ( 32 ) demonstrated the significant worsening of psychiatric conditions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in a global sample of psychiatric patients. At least 50% of the assessed psychiatric patients showed elevated general psychological disturbance, risk for PTSD, and depression.…”

Worsening of Preexisting Psychiatric Conditions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to Prof. Selmira Brkić (Faculty of Medicine, University of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Prof. Leszek Kaczmarek (Director, Nencki-EMBL Braincity, Warsaw, Poland), University of Zurich Research Office, Zurich Cantonal Ethics Commission, Texas Behavioral Health, and European MD-PhD Association for their expedited review of the study procedures under extra-ordinary circumstances and for their organizational support. This manuscript has been released as a pre-print at Medrxiv ( 38 ).…”