SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic and its impact on the mental health of psychiatric patients compared to mentally healthy people

ABSTRACT

Introduction/Objective. Data on the psychological consequences of social isolation imposed by the global public health threat of the SARS-CoV-2 viral pandemic are limited. Mentally healthy people and psychiatric patients react to stress in different ways. This study aims to examine the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 viral pandemic on the mental health of psychiatric patients compared to mentally healthy people. Methods. The study is designed as a cross-sectional study. It was conducted during April, May and June 2020 at the end and immediately after the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 viral pandemic in Serbia. Participants were divided into two groups - a clinical group of patients with mental disorders and a control group composed of healthy volunteers. A self-assessment questionnaire was used to collect data on the presence of anxiety and symptoms of depression and behavioral disorders that indicate increased levels of stress - such as insomnia, sedative abuse. Results. Anxiety, fear, panic attacks (80%), depressive symptoms (70%), sleep problems (81%) and sedative abuse (82%) were the most commonly reported psychiatric symptoms in the study group. Healthy subjects in the control group had statistically significantly less frequent presence of symptoms and signs associated with mental problems, although in this group the prevalence of symptoms of mental disorders is not negligible (anxiety, fear, panic attacks (40%), depressive symptoms (22%) and sedative abuse (10%)). Conclusion. The results support the negative impact of the SARS-CoV-2 viral pandemic on the mental health of psychiatric patients. It can be expected that the most pronounced effects of the pandemic on mental health in the general population will be visible in the future.