The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 among a Sample of Italian Adults with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Follow-Up Study.

The strict lockdowns imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic brought an increase in levels of stress, anxiety, and depression in the general population. However, in a previous study, our group found that individuals with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders (HF-ASD) reported an increase in their psychological wellbeing and a decrease in their daily tiredness, in relation to the social distancing measures imposed during the first Italian lockdown (between March and May 2020). In this follow-up study, conducted during the "second wave" of COVID-19, we included the same group of individuals with HF-ASD and evaluated their levels of stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD-related symptoms, tiredness, and perceived wellbeing; moreover, we compared our results to the ones we obtained during the first lockdown on the same population. We found that individuals with HF-ASD experienced higher levels of the aforementioned psychiatric symptoms during the second lockdown, with respect to the first one. These levels positively correlated with their scores at the Autism Quotient subscale Attention Switching: hence, we speculated that these symptoms might be due not only to the prolonging of the social distancing measures, but also to the uncertainty that HF-ASD participants started experiencing at the end of the first lockdown.

A paradoxical psychological impact of COVID-19 among a sample of Italian adults with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Since February 2020, many governments of the world ordered strict social distancing rules to try to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, with a reported consequent increase in levels of stress, anxiety and depression in the general population. Aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of the aforementioned psychiatric symptoms across a sample of individuals with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders (HF-ASDs) with respect to a group of neurotypical adults (NA), during the first two months of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. METHOD: 45 adults with HF-ASDs and 45NA completed a structured online questionnaire, including; the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 items (DASS-21); the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R); the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). We also explored some specific aspects of participants' psychological well-being through an ad-hoc questionnaire. RESULTS: Subjects with HF-ASDs scored significantly higher than NA at the DASS-21, the IES-R Total Score and the PSS; NA reported a higher perceived change of their lifestyle during the lockdown than individuals with HF-ASDs, and subjects with HF-ASDs reported to feel more comfortable and less tired during the lockdown period, in relation to the social distancing measures adopted by Italian authorities. CONCLUSIONS: Adults with HF-ASDs presented higher rates of depression, anxiety, stress and PTSD-related symptoms than NA during the first two months of COVID-19 pandemic. However, they also reported to feel subjectively more comfortable and less tired during the lockdown than before, in relation to the social distancing measures.

The psychological impact of COVID-19-related lockdown measures among a sample of Italian patients with eating disorders: a preliminary longitudinal study.

PURPOSE: To explore the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression, along with PTSD- and ED-related symptoms, across a sample of patients with Eating Disorders (EDs) compared to a group of healthy controls (HC) during the lockdown period in Italy; to assess whether patients' reported aforementioned psychiatric symptoms improved, remained stable or worsened with the easing of the lockdown measures. METHODS: t0 assessment (during lockdown): 59 ED patients and 43 HC completed an online survey, including the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 items (DASS-21), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and specific ad-hoc questions extracted from the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire; t1 assessment (post-lockdown): 40 EDs patients, a subset of the t0 sample, completed the same assessment 2 months after t0. RESULTS: EDs patients scored higher than HC at the DASS-21, IES-R and PSS. At t1, levels of stress, anxiety and depression were not different than at t0, but symptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), patients' reported level of psychological wellbeing and specific EDs symptomatology improved. DISCUSSION: During the lockdown, EDs patients presented significantly higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD- and ED-related symptoms than HC. With the easing of the lockdown, PTSD- and ED-related symptoms improved, but high levels of stress, anxiety and depression persisted. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, experimental study.

Early Psychiatric Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the General Population and Healthcare Workers in Italy: A Preliminary Study.

Introduction: Since February 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 spread to several countries worldwide, including Italy. In this study, we aimed to assess the psychopathological impact of the pandemic across the general population of Lombardy, the most affected Italian region, and to compare the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms between the general public and healthcare workers. Methods: Four hundred and thirty-two participants completed an online survey including: the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 items (DASS-21), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PQSI). Healthcare workers were also asked to complete the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Results: At the DASS-21, 33.3% of the responders presented pathological levels of stress, 25.5% of anxiety, and 35.9% of depression. At the IES-R, 13.9% appeared at risk of developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). At the PSQI, 57.6% presented sleep disturbances. Female gender and younger age predicted higher scores of distress. Healthcare workers presented higher levels of psychiatric symptoms than the general public. Moreover, working in contact with COVID-19 patients predicted higher scores at the IES-R subscale Intrusion. Conclusion: Our results showed that about a third of our sample presented symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression during the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Lombardy; more than half of the responders presented sleep disturbances, and 13% appeared at risk of PTSD. Italian authorities should develop specific strategies to guarantee psychological support to the population of Lombardy, with particular attention to women, young people, and healthcare workers exposed to COVID-19 patients.