Mental health and the effects on methylation of stress-related genes in front-line versus other health care professionals during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic: an Italian pilot study.

Healthcare workers experienced high degree of stress during COVID-19. Purpose of the present article is to compare mental health (depressive and Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorders-PTSD-symptoms) and epigenetics aspects (degree of methylation of stress-related genes) in front-line healthcare professionals versus healthcare working in non-COVID-19 wards. Sixty-eight healthcare workers were included in the study: 39 were working in COVID-19 wards (cases) and 29 in non-COVID wards (controls). From all participants, demographic and clinical information were collected by an ad-hoc questionnaire. Depressive and PTSD symptoms were evaluated by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), respectively. Methylation analyses of 9 promoter/regulatory regions of genes known to be implicated in depression/PTSD (ADCYAP1, BDNF, CRHR1, DRD2, IGF2, LSD1/KDM1A, NR3C1, OXTR, SLC6A4) were performed on DNA from blood samples by the MassARRAY EpiTYPER platform, with MassCleave settings. Controls showed more frequent lifetime history of anxiety/depression with respect to cases (χ2 = 5.72, p = 0.03). On the contrary, cases versus controls presented higher PHQ-9 (t = 2.13, p = 0.04), PHQ-9 sleep item (t = 2.26, p = 0.03), IES-R total (t = 2.17, p = 0.03), IES-R intrusion (t = 2.46, p = 0.02), IES-R avoidance (t = 1.99, p = 0.05) mean total scores. Methylation levels at CRHR1, DRD2 and LSD1 genes was significantly higher in cases with respect to controls (p < 0.01, p = 0.03 and p = 0.03, respectively). Frontline health professionals experienced more negative effects on mental health during COVID-19 pandemic than non-frontline healthcare workers. Methylation levels were increased in genes regulating HPA axis (CRHR1) and dopamine neurotransmission (DRD2 and LSD1), thus supporting the involvement of these biological processes in depression/PTSD and indicating that methylation of these genes can be modulated by stress conditions, such as working as healthcare front-line during COVID-19 pandemic.

The psychopathological impact of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic on subjects suffering from different mental disorders: An observational retrospective study.

SARS-CoV-2 infection causes a pulmonary disease (COVID-19) which spread worldwide generating fear, anxiety, depression in the general population as well as among subjects affected by mental disorders. Little is known about which different psychopathological changes the pandemic caused among individuals affected by different psychiatric disorders, which represents the aim of the present study. Specific psychometric scales were administered at three time points: T0 as outbreak of pandemic, T1 as lockdown period, T2 as reopening. Descriptive analyses and linear regression models were performed. A total of 166 outpatients were included. Overall, psychometric scores showed a significant worsening at T1 with a mild improvement at T2. Only psychopathology in schizophrenia (SKZ) patients and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms did not significantly improve at T2. Subjects affected by personality disorders (PDs) resulted to be more compromised in terms of general psychopathology than depressed and anxiety/OC ones, and showed more severe anxiety symptoms than SKZ patients. In conclusion, subjects affected by PDs require specific clinical attention during COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the worsening of SKZ and OC symptoms should be strictly monitored by clinicians, as these aspects did not improve with the end of lockdown measures. Further studies on larger samples are needed to confirm our results. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04694482.

COVID-19 related poor mental health and sleep disorders in rheumatic patients: a citizen science project.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic rheumatic diseases (RDs) are more vulnerable and the containment measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic might have severe psychological consequences. We investigated the presence of and risk factors associated with poor mental health, sleep disorders among RDs during the pandemic. METHODS: This cross-sectional Italian citizen science project evaluated the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in patients with RDs. Between May and September 2020, eleven RD patients' associations sent the survey by using their mailing list and the related webpage and social network. 507 RD patients completed an ad-hoc anonymous online survey including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Impact Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). RESULTS: The mean scores on the PSS-10 and the IES-R were 18.1 and 29.7, respectively. Higher PSS scores were associated with younger age (p <  0.01), female gender (p <  0.01), overweight/obesity (p = 0.01), psychiatric pharmacotherapy (p <  0.01), and anxiety for loss of income (p <  0.01). Higher IES-R scores were associated with female gender (p <  0.01), intestinal diseases (p = 0.03), anxiety (p <  0.01), and health concern (p <  0.01). Among 375 patients with inflammatory arthritis, 246 (65.6%) had trouble staying asleep, 238 (63.5%) falling asleep, and 112 (29.9%) had dreams about the pandemic. Older age (OR = 1.038, CI 1.002-1.076), psychiatric pharmacotherapy (OR = 25.819, CI 11.465-58.143), and COVID infection (OR = 2.783, CI 1.215-6.372) were predictive of insomnia during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable COVID-19 related psychosocial burden has been detected in RDs. Different factors were predictive of poor mental health and sleep disorders in these patients. Focused supportive strategies should be implemented to improve the psychological well-being of fragile patients during pandemics.

Profile of patients attending psychiatric emergency care during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID 19) pandemic: a comparative cross-sectional study between lockdown and post-lockdown periods in Lombardy, Italy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the long-term impact of early COVID-19 lockdown phase on emergency psychiatric consultations in two psychiatric emergency departments located in Italy. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study comparing the number and characteristics of emergency psychiatric consultations during post-lockdown with respect to the lockdown period. Sociodemographic data, clinical characteristics, referred symptoms, diagnosis, information on multiple psychiatric consultations and hospitalisation were collected. RESULTS: A rise of almost 60% in emergency psychiatric consultations during the post-lockdown compared to the lockdown period was observed. Emergency psychiatric consultations in the post-lockdown period were associated with lower rates of cannabis (aOR = 0.42, p = 0.011) and cocaine use (aOR = 0.39, p = 0.011). Despite a lower occurrence of two or more psychiatric consultations was observed during post-lockdown phase (aOR = 0.44, p = 0.008), subjects who had anxiety disorders (aOR = 3.91, p = 0.000) and substance intoxication or withdrawal (aOR = 6.89, p = 0.000) were more likely to present to emergency psychiatric consultations during post-lockdown period compared to the lockdown one. CONCLUSIONS: Substance intoxication or withdrawal and anxiety disorders increased after the COVID-19 lockdown. The findings of this study suggest to address more economic and professional sources to the mental health areas potentially more affected by the different phases of a pandemic.KEYPOINTSCOVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures increased mental health unmet needs.According to our findings, a rise in emergency psychiatric consultations during the post-lockdown compared to the lockdown period was observed.Patients with substance intoxication or withdrawal syndrome and anxiety disorders were significantly more likely to present to emergency psychiatric consultations during post-lockdown.Lockdown was associated with higher rates of both cannabis and cocaine use disorders as well as of multiple psychiatric consultations.Alternative strategies to improve mental health such as e-health technologies should be promoted.

Initiation of psychotropic medication in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: Association with clinical and biological characteristics.

INTRODUCTION: Inpatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) show a high rate of neuropsychiatric manifestations, possibly related to a higher risk of serious illness or death. Use of psychotropic medications (PMs) indicates the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in COVID-19 patients. So far, potential clinical predictors of use of PMs have not been much investigated. In order to extend research in this area, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of PM prescription among a sample of inpatients with COVID-19 and to find potential predictors of initiation of PMs in these individuals. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional single-center study, conducted during the first outbreak peak in a hospital of northern Italy. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, comorbidities, routine blood test, use of potential COVID-19 treatments, and length of stay were retrieved from medical records. RESULTS: Data were available for 151 inpatients. Forty-seven of them (31.1%) started at least one prescription of a PM. PM prescription was significantly inversely associated with lymphocyte and platelet counts. A significant association was also found for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the initiation of PMs could be common among COVID-19 inpatients. Lymphocyte and platelet counts as well as LDH levels may reflect neuropsychiatric complications of COVID-19.

Psychiatric emergency care during Coronavirus 2019 (COVID 19) pandemic lockdown: results from a Department of Mental Health and Addiction of northern Italy.

BACKGROUND: The current COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent containment measures are leading to increasing mental health issues both in psychiatric patients and general population. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the number and characteristics of emergency psychiatric consultations during the phase 1 of lockdown with respect to the same period in 2019 in a Department of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) located in Lombardy region. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study including subjects consecutively admitted to two psychiatric emergency rooms of DMHA in Monza, Lombardy, Italy. Sociodemographic data, clinical characteristics, referred symptoms, diagnosis and information on patients' illness course following the emergency consultations were collected. No subjects were excluded for the purposes of the study. RESULTS: Between February 21st and May 3rd 2020, there was a marked reduction in the number of psychiatric emergency consultations, if compared to the same period of 2019. Subjects who were living in psychiatric residential treatment facilities, had cannabis addiction and a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder were significantly more likely to present to emergency psychiatric consultations during lockdown. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 epidemic may have a negative impact on more vulnerable individuals. Strategies to enhance relapse prevention and the use of alternative approaches as e-health technologies should be promoted.