Characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 inpatients who underwent psychiatric consultations.

Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are at risk of developing many neuropsychiatric disorders, due to the effects of the disease on the brain and the psychosocial pressures of having the disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients who were hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19, who underwent psychiatric consultations. The medical records of 892 patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 and the 89 among them who requested psychiatric consultations were analyzed retrospectively. After the psychiatric consultations, patients were most frequently diagnosed with delirium (38.2 %), adjustment disorder (27.0 %), depressive disorder (19.1 %) and anxiety disorder (11.2 %). Patients with delirium had longer hospital stays (p < 0.001), were transferred more frequently to intensive care units (p < 0.001), and had higher mortality rates during their hospital stays (p < 0.001), than all other patients. The need for oxygen (p < 0.001) and mechanical ventilation (p < 0.001) was also significantly higher in delirium patients, as well as in patients who received other psychiatric diagnoses. Neuropsychiatric disorders develop in patients receiving inpatient treatments in COVID-19 wards, and these disorders negatively affect the prognosis of COVID-19. Our findings suggest that the presence of neuropsychiatric disorders in in-patients with COVID-19 might be associated with the negative outcomes of the disease.

Validity and reliability of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) among university students of Bangladesh.

This study investigated the reliability and factorial validity of General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) in the context of university students in Bangladesh. The research aimed to assess whether the original one-dimensional model or a model containing both somatic and cognitive-emotional factors is appropriate. A repeated cross-sectional survey design based on convenience sampling was used to collect data from 677 university students. The factor structure of the GAD-7 was assessed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and its convergent validity was determined by investigating its correlations with Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety-Depression Scale (PHQ-ADS). Results showed excellent reliability of GAD-7 as measured by Cronbach's α. CFA suggested that a modified one-factor model is appropriate for the sample. This model provided high values of comparative fit index (CFI), goodness of fit index (GFI), and Tucker Lewis Index (TLI), low value of standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) and a non-significant root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). Correlation between GAD-7 and PHQ-9 was 0.751 and 0.934 between GAD-7 and PHQ-ADS. Overall, the study provided support for modified unidimensional structure for GAD-7 and showed high internal consistency along with good convergent validity.

Is there an association between ABO blood types and depressive symptoms among Japanese healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic?

ABO blood types could be a biological predisposition for depression. The present cross-sectional analysis was conducted amid the second wave of COVID-19 in Japan during July 2020. We wanted to investigate the association between ABO blood types and depressive symptoms among workers (352 men and 864 women, aged 21-73 years) of a medical institution in Tokyo, Japan, which took a leading role in the response to COVID-19 in the country. A Poisson regression model with a robust variance estimator was used to estimate the prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for depressive symptoms associated with ABO blood types. Overall, the prevalence of depressive symptoms (using two questions employed from a Two-question case-finding instrument) was 22.0%. The adjusted PRs (95% CI) for depressive symptoms, comparing the carriers of blood type O, A, and AB with those of type B, were 0.88 (0.66, 1.18), 0.81 (0.62, 1.07), and 1.07 (0.74, 1.53), respectively. There was no difference in the prevalence of depressive symptoms between non-B and B carriers. The present study did not support the association of ABO blood types with depressive symptoms.

Depressive and anxiety symptoms and COVID-19-related factors among men and women in Nigeria.

Despite the greater adverse economic impacts in low and middle-income (LAMI) compared to high-income countries, fewer studies have investigated the associations between COVID-19-related stressor and mental health in LAMI countries. The objectives of this study were to determine the associations between COVID-19-related stressors and anxiety and depressive symptoms while controlling for known risk and protective factors and to investigate any sex differences. An online survey was carried out to assess sociodemographic, psychosocial (previous mental health conditions, sexual orientation, intimate partner violence and perceived social support) and COVID-19-related variables. Hierarchical linear regression was carried out with anxiety and depressive symptoms as separate outcomes. Of the COVID-19-related factors, testing positive for COVID-19 infection, having COVID-19 symptoms, having other medical conditions, self-isolating due to COVID-19 symptoms, worry about infection, perception of the pandemic as a threat to income and isolation during the lockdown were significantly associated with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms. Of these, worry about infection, isolation during lockdown and disruption due to the pandemic retained independent associations with both outcomes. The variance in anxiety and depressive symptoms explained by COVID-19-related factors was larger in women (11.8%) compared to men (6.1% and 0.8% respectively). COVID-19-related stressors are associated with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms, with these effects being larger in men compared to women. Enhancing social support can be an affordable strategy to mitigate this risk but this needs to be investigated using appropriate designs.

Transdiagnostic vulnerability factors for behavioral health problems during COVID-19.

The novel 2019 SARS-2-CoV causing COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the entire world. COVID-19 is a broad-based stressor, and research to date has documented increases in mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, and substance use, since the onset of COVID-19. By taking a transdiagnostic approach, scholars can help elucidate mechanisms and vulnerability as well as resiliency related to behavioral health problems in the context of COVID-19. The aim of the current special issue of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy was to showcase ongoing research focused on transdiagnostic factors in the context of COVID-19. The purpose of this issue is to highlight the significance of this work in the pandemic for research and practice; illustrate some of the many domains currently being explored via innovative approaches; and explicate fruitful areas for programmatic study. We hope that readers will recognize the important role of transdiagnostic models and their potential to offset the mental, addictive, and physical health disease burden of COVID-19.

Psychological Adjustment in Spain during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Positive and Negative Mental Health Outcomes in the General Population.

In the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic, Spain was one of the countries with the highest number of infections and a high mortality rate. The threat of the virus and consequences of the pandemic have a discernible impact on the mental health of citizens. This study aims to (a) evaluate the levels of anxiety, depression and well-being in a large Spanish sample during the confinement, (b) identify potential predictor variables associated to experiencing both clinical levels of distress and well-being in a sample of 2,122 Spanish people. By using descriptive analyses and logistic regression results revealed high rates of depression, anxiety and well-being. Specifically, our findings revealed that high levels of anxiety about COVID-19, increased substance use and loneliness as the strongest predictors of distress, while gross annual incomes and loneliness were strongest predictors of well-being. Finding of the present study provide a better insight about psychological adjustment to a pandemic and allows us to identify which population groups are at risk of experiencing higher levels of distress and which factors contribute to greater well-being, which could help in the treatments and prevention in similar stressful and traumatic situations.

Effects of COVID-19 Home Confinement on Mental Health in Individuals with Increased Risk of Alzheimer's Disease.

We explored the impact of the Spanish COVID-19 strict home confinement on mental health and cognition in non-infected subjects (N = 16, 60-80 years) diagnosed with subjective cognitive decline and APOEɛ3/ɛ4 carriers. Mental health was monitored for 2 months on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, and compared to pre-confinement values. Emotional distress, anxiety, and depression scores increased to pathological threshold values during and after confinement. Those with lower mood during confinement experienced a decline in their mood after confinement. Cognition did not change. These preliminary results suggest that mental health consequences of corona measures in preclinical stages of Alzheimer's disease should be further evaluated.

The burden of loneliness: Implications of the social determinants of health during COVID-19.

This study sought to examine if mental health issues, namely depression and anxiety symptoms, and loneliness were experienced differently according to various demographic groups during the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., a societal stressor). An online survey, comprising demographic questions and questionnaires on depression, anxiety and loneliness symptoms, was distributed in Canada during the height of social distancing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents (N=661) from lower income households experienced greater anxiety, depression and loneliness. Specifically, loneliness was greater in those with an annual income <$50,000/yr versus higher income brackets. Younger females (18-29yr) displayed greater anxiety, depressive symptoms and loneliness than their male counterparts; this difference did not exist among the other age groups (30-64yr, >65yr). Moreover, loneliness scores increased with increasing depression and anxiety symptom severity category. The relationship between loneliness and depression symptoms was moderated by gender, such that females experienced higher depressive symptoms when encountering greater loneliness. These data identify younger females, individuals with lower income, and those living alone as experiencing greater loneliness and mental health challenges during the height of the pandemic in Canada. We highlight the strong relationship between loneliness, depression and anxiety, and emphasize increased vulnerability among certain cohorts.

[Immunopsychiatry and SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: Links and possible consequences]. / Immuno-psychiatrie et pandémie de SARS-CoV-2 : liens et possibles conséquences.

OBJECTIVE: The SARS-CoV-2 (or COVID-19) pandemic has been propagating since December 2019, inducing a drastic increase in the prevalence of anxious and depressive disorders in the general population. Psychological trauma can partly explain these disorders. However, since psychiatric disorders also have an immuno-inflammatory component, the direct effects of the virus on the host's immune system, with a marked inflammatory response, but also the secondary inflammation to these psychosocial stressors, may cause the apparition or the worsening of psychiatric disorders. We describe here the probable immunopsychiatric consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, to delineate possible screening actions and care that could be planned. METHOD: Data from previous pandemics, and existing data on the psychopathological consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, allowed us to review the possible immunopsychiatric consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, on the gestational environment, with the risk of consecutive neurodevelopmental disorders for the fetus on one hand, on the children and adults directly infected being at increased risks of psychiatric disorders on the other hand. RESULTS: As in previous pandemics, the activation of the immune system due to psychological stress and/or to infection during pregnancy, might lead to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders for the fetus (schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders). Furthermore, in individuals exposed to psychological trauma and/or infected by the virus, the risk of psychiatric disorders, especially mood disorders, is probably increased. CONCLUSION: In this context, preventive measures and specialized care are necessary. Thus, it is important to propose a close follow-up to the individuals who have been infected by the virus, in order to set up the earliest care possible. Likewise, in pregnant women, screening of mood disorders during the pregnancy or the postpartum period must be facilitated. The follow-up of the babies born during the pandemic must be strengthened to screen and care for possible neurodevelopmental disorders.