ABSTRACT
Background: COVID-19-associated psychoses are psychotic disorders that have developed during a new coronavirus infection. Criteria of these psychoses are the manifestation of psychosis simultaneously with infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the presence of documented COVID-19 disease. Information about these diseases appears as brief reports of mental services or with rare clusters. The need to study COVID-19-associated psychoses is due to the relatively high risk of their development, reaching 2.8%. The aim of study was to analyse the identified cases of COVID-19-associated psychosis in comparison with the results presented in the scientific literature. Patients and methods: 50 cases of COVID-19-associated psychosis were analyzed using a clinical method, taking into account the results of physical examination from April 2020 to September 2021. Results: 27 women and 23 men aged 20 to 57 were examined. Common symptoms were revealed: simultaneously or immediately after infection and identification of the virus against the background of growing anxiety and dissomnia, delusional ideas were formed, which quickly turned into fantastic delusion with disturbing agitation and hallucinations and subsequent marked disorganization of behavior with possible confusion of consciousness at the peak of psychosis. Perceptual deceptions were the most common, auditory hallucinations were the most prevalent, and catatonia was relatively common. The cupping therapy led to reduction of psychotic symptoms, and returned patients to a pre-morbid level of functioning. In most cases, there was a critical resolution of the attack, which probably indicates a favorable outcome of the disorder. Such dynamics is consistent with scientific literature data. Conclusion: the question of the primary or secondary nature of COVID-19-associated psychoses remains unresolved. It is necessary to continue the study of COVID-19-associated psychosis with the identification of risk factors for the development of psychosis, manifestation features, psychopathological picture, outcome options to determine the optimal rehabilitation program © Бравве Л.В., Захарова Н.В., 2022
ABSTRACT
Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with the spread of conspiracy theories, which are heterogeneous in terms of the structure of their views. The hypothesis is that the substrate for the spread of conspiracy trend is an increased level of anxiety, reduced due to the paralogical (conspiracy) interpretation of events. The purpose of this research was to study the prevalence of conspiracy trends during the preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic in Moscow (before the introduction of strict restrictive measures). Methods: 320 people, randomly selected from the general population, were asked if they agree or disagree with 9 statements regarding the conspiracy interpretation of events, compared with the level of anxiety/depression (using the HADS scale). There are 3 trends (COVID-conspiracy, COVID-skepticism, COVID-obscurantism). Results: 45.7% of respondents were ready to agree with one or the other conspiracy idea. I The level of anxiety in all adherents of conspiracy theory was found to be higher than in the rest of the sample. Differences in sociodemographic characteristics of adherents of different conspiracy tendencies are revealed. Among COVID skeptics, there are significantly fewer students and pensioners, and among COVID conspiracy theorists, the level of education received is lower, with unstable labor and family status. Discussion. Conspiracy trends were universal for all social groups in the background of increased anxiety among the population of Moscow in preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic. It is suggested that the mechanism for the development of conspiracy tendencies may be the process of rationalization of an increased level of anxiety as a protective response during a crisis. © 2020 Izdatel'stvo Meditsina. All rights reserved.