Panic and pandemic: Narrative review of the literature on the links and risks of panic disorder as a consequence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Psychological Symptoms of COVID-19 Pandemic Among Community-Dwelling Older People in Oman and Associated Risk Factors

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic loss of human lives worldwide.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the psychological factors of the COVID-19 pandemic in the community-dwelling older population.

Method

This was a cross-sectional study of older people aged ≥60 years with no mental or psychological illnesses. A total of 193 participants were recruited. The study questionnaire included anxiety- and depression-related questions tailored for the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire was developed through a literature review and expert review. Data was collected from December 2020 to January 2022.

Results

The psychological symptoms of COVID-19 were high in this sample (mean 29.18 ± 3.57). Gender (female) was found to have a strong positive relationship with the psychological symptoms of COVID-19 score (p = 0.003). Chronic illnesses (β = 0.19, p < 0.001), living alone (β = 0.39, p < 0.001), and having a family member or a friend with COVID-19 (β = 0.15, p < 0.001) were also found to have a strong positive relationship with the psychological symptoms of COVID-19 score.

Conclusion

The negative psychological effects of COVID-19 were high among the older population in Oman. In this study, female gender, chronic illnesses, living alone, and having a family member or a friend with COVID-19 were associated with worse COVID-19 psychological symptoms. Older women were affected by COVID-19 more than older men. In addition, those who had chronic illnesses, lived alone, or had a family member or a friend with COVID-19 were more psychologically burdened by the pandemic than those without those characteristics. Particular attention should be given to older adults who have chronic illnesses, live alone, or have a family member or a friend with COVID-19. Support groups and psychological counseling programs are essential for older people during a pandemic.

Tracking demands for seeking psychological help before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a quanti-qualitative study

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented burdens on individuals and communities around the world. The isolation, fear, and uncertainty caused by the virus has led to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. The pandemic has also had a disproportionate impact on individuals and communities with low income and socioeconomic status.ObjectiveTo shed light on the consequences of the pandemic on individuals from minorities and low-income areas, we investigate the main reasons that led patients who were referred to a social clinic of a private university in Rio de Janeiro to seek psychological treatment before (2019) and during the pandemic (2020 and 2021).MethodsWe conducted a quanti-qualitative study with a lexical analysis that evaluated 549 complaint forms of patients seeking treatment in these two distinct periods. Our analyses included descending hierarchical analysis (DHA) and correspondence factor analysis (CFA).ResultsFamily dynamics and communication factors play a dominant role in the reason for seeking therapy and psychological treatment. Additionally, our study suggested an increase in anxiety and panic attacks among other mental health issues associated with grief and losses during the pandemic years.ConclusionBased on these analyses, we can begin to identify a few changes in the main demand and redirection of complaints of patients during the period of COVID-19.

European Working Group on SARS-CoV-2: Current Understanding, Unknowns, and Recommendations on the Neurological Complications of COVID-19

The emergence of COVID-19 was rapidly followed by infection and the deaths of millions of people across the globe. With much of the research and scientific advancement rightly focused on reducing the burden of severe and critical acute COVID-19 infection, the long-term effects endured by those who survived the acute infection has been previously overlooked. Now, an appreciation for the post-COVID-19 condition, including its neurological manifestations, is growing, although there remain many unknowns regarding the aetiology and risk factors of the condition, as well as how to effectively diagnose and treat it. Here, drawing upon the experiences and expertise of the clinicians and academics of the European working group on COVID-19, we have reviewed the current literature to provide a comprehensive overview of the neurological sequalae of the post-COVID-19 condition. In this review, we provide a summary of the neurological symptoms associated with the post-COVID-19 condition, before discussing the possible mechanisms which may underly and manifest these symptoms. Following this, we explore the risk factors for developing neurological symptoms as a result of COVID-19 and the post-COVID-19 condition, as well as how COVID-19 infection may itself be a risk factor for the development of neurological disease in the future. Lastly, we evaluate how the post-COVID condition could be accurately diagnosed and effectively treated, including examples of the current guidelines, clinical outcomes and tools that have been developed to aid in this process, as well as addressing the protection provided by COVID-19 vaccines against post-COVID-19 condition. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the neurological sequalae of the post-COVID-19 condition.

Prevalence study of mental disorders in an Italian region. Preliminary report

BACKGROUND

Mental disorders are a major public health problem. However, over the last few years, there have been few studies aimed at evaluating their diffusion. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating: the prevalence of the most frequent psychiatric disorders in the general population residing in Tuscany using a clinical scale administered by trainee in psychiatry.

METHODS

The study was carried out on a representative sample of the general population aged > 18 years, randomly extracted from the register of patients in the Tuscany region, adopting a proportional sampling method stratified by gender, age group and Local Health Units (LHU). Each person was contacted by letter followed by a phone call from an operator who makes an appointment with the trainee in psychiatry. The diagnostic interview conducted was the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Point and lifetime prevalence by gender and age group were calculated. Differences and associations were considered statistically significant if their p-values were less than 0.05.

RESULTS

Of the 408 people involved, 390 people were enrolled (of which 52.6% female). The 28.5% of the sample had been affected by a psychiatric disorder during their lifetime. In their lifetime, the most represented psychiatric disorders were major depressive episode (20.4%), major depressive disorder (17.0%) and panic disorder (10.3%), more frequent in the female than the male group. Current conditions were predominantly major depressive episode (3.1%) and agoraphobia (2.8%). A 5.9% rate of current suicidal ideation was also found.

CONCLUSIONS

In the general population, 28.5% of people reported a psychiatric disorder during their lifetime. This prevalence is considerably higher than that reported in a previous study carried out in central Italy.

Post-COVID-19 investor psychology and individual investment decision: A moderating role of information availability

This study aims to investigate the influence of psychological biases on the investment decision of Chinese individual investors after the pandemic of COVID-19 with a moderating role of information availability. A cross-sectional method with a quantitative research approach was employed to investigate the hypothesized relationships among variables. The snowball sampling technique was applied to collect the data through a survey questionnaire from individual investors investing in the Chinese stock market. Smart-PLS statistical software was used to analyze the data and for the estimation of hypotheses. Results indicated that overconfidence, representative bias, and anchoring bias have a significant and positive influence on investment decisions during the post-Covid-19 pandemic; however, the availability bias has insignificant and negative effects on the investment decision during the post-COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, findings indicated that information availability has a significant moderating role in the relationship of psychological biases with the investment decision during the post-COVID-19 pandemic. This study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding behavior finance, psychological biases, and investment decision in emerging stock markets. The findings of the present study improve the understanding that how investors’ psychology affects their investment decisions.

Mouth shield to minimize airborne transmission risk of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in the dental office

Transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and other infectious diseases is a significant risk during dental procedures because most dental interventions involve aerosols or droplets that could contaminate the surrounding environment. Current protection guidelines to address the high risk of droplets, aerosols, and airborne particle transmission of COVID-19 in the dental office recommend minimizing aerosol-generating procedures. In this paper, an innovative mouth shield is presented that should minimize water backsplash from the air-water syringe during dental treatment. The mouth shield can be added to the personal protective equipment to provide the dental team with extra protection. It can be made of different materials, is straightforward, inexpensive, and safe to fabricate, and is easy to use.

Acute stress disorder in patients with accidental traumatic fractures: What can we do

AIM

To evaluate the potential influencing factors of acute stress disorder (ASD) in patients with accidental traumatic fractures to provide evidence for clinical nursing care.

DESIGN

A retrospective study.

METHODS

Patients with traumatic fractures treated in our hospital from 1 January 2020 to 30 November 2021 were included. The characteristics of ASD and no ASD patients were assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 468 patients with traumatic fractures were included, the incidence of ASD was 28.20%. Logistic regression analysis showed that age ≤50 years (OR2.918, 95% CI1.994 ~ 3.421), female (OR2.074, 95% CI1.489 ~ 3.375), AIS-ISS at admission ≥20 (OR3.981, 95% CI2.188 ~ 5.091), VAS at admission≥7 (OR2.804, 95% CI2.027 ~ 3.467), introverted personality (OR1.722, 95%CI1.314 ~ 2.432) and CD-RISC at admission≤60 (OR3.026, 95% CI2.338 ~ 4.769) were the risk factors of ASD in patients with traumatic fractures (all p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The development of ASD in patients with traumatic fractures is affected by multiple factors. Medical workers should take early and timely management and nursing measures for related risk factors to reduce the occurrence of ASD.

Analysis of COVID-19-related psychiatric disorders: clinical manifestations and therapeutic considerations

During the COVID-19 pandemic, neuropsychiatric disorders have been diagnosed both in the acute phase, and in the aftermath of this disease. Inpatients, as well as outpatients recently diagnosed with mild, moderate or severe forms of Coronavirus infection have reported neuropsychiatric manifestations with variable duration, symptoms that could be directly or indirectly related to the viral pathogenic agent. Patients who are recovering from the acute phase of COVID-19 also may exhibit various psychopathological manifestations, during the so-called “post-COVID-19 syndrome” or “long COVID-19 syndrome”. Explanations regarding the onset of this type of clinical manifestations and the SARS-CoV-2 infection are extremely diverse, ranging from biological factors (e.g., direct central nervous system viral activity, cerebral hypo-oxygenation, high level of inflammatory response) to psycho-social stressors (e.g., isolation, fear of death, anxiety related to possible somatic complications or sequelae). Objectives: The primary objective of this article was to analyze psychiatric manifestations in patients with acute COVID-19 disease and in patients during post-COVID-19 phase. The secondary objective was to propose a conceptual framework for the evaluation and treatment of these patients. Methods: Patients included in this analysis were screened positive for COVID-19 infection in the last 6 months before their first psychiatric examination. These patients were further evaluated to detect any personal history of psychiatric disorders, somatic comorbidities, or significant concomitant pharmacological treatments. Specific scales for the measurement of symptoms severity and functional impairment were administered in all patients. Results: Five patients were included in this analysis, one during the acute phase of COVID-19 infection, and four patients were evaluated after the complete remission of this disease. Hyperactive delirium, mild neurocognitive disorder, major depressive episode, panic disorder with agoraphobia, or acute psychotic disorder were the main diagnoses in these patients. All patients received adequate treatment and they were monitored using psychological scales until symptoms remission or stabilisation. Conclusions: Psychosocial stressors, neurobiological changes, systemic inflammatory reaction, and individual vulnerability factors may contribute to a diathesis-stress model for psychiatric disorders onset within the acute phase or after the remission of acute manifestations in COVID-19-diagnosed patients

Perceived Stress, Resilience, and Wellbeing in Seasoned Isha Yoga Practitioners Compared to Matched Controls During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background

Yoga practices, including breathing, meditation, and posture protocols (asanas), have been shown to facilitate physical and mental wellbeing.

Methods

Seasoned yoga practitioners were recruited from the Isha Foundation. Recruitment of the comparison group was achieved using snowball sampling and were not yoga practitioners. Participants in the non-yoga group were randomized to a 3-min Isha practice or a comparator group asked to perform 15-min of daily reading. Participants completed a series of web-based surveys (REDCap) at baseline, 6, and 12 weeks. These surveys include validated scales and objective questions on COVID-19 infection and medical history. The validated questionnaires assess for: perceived stress (PSS), mood states [anxiety and depression (PHQ-4), joy (DPES-Joy subscale)], mindfulness attention and awareness (MAAS), resilience (BRS), mental wellbeing (WEMWBS) and recovery from traumatic event (PTGI). Weekly activity diaries were employed as a tool for collecting compliance information from study participants. Perceived stress scale scores were identified as primary outcome for this study.

Findings

The median Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score for the yoga practitioners compared to the active and placebo comparators was significantly lower at all time-points: baseline: 11 [IQR 7–15] vs. 16 [IQR 12–21] in both the active and placebo comparators (p &lt; 0.0001); 6 weeks: 9 [IQR 6–13] vs. 12 [IQR 8–17] in the active comparator and 14 [IQR 9–18] in the placebo comparator (p &lt; 0.0001); and 12 weeks: 9 [IQR 5–13] vs. 11.5 [IQR 8–16] in the active comparators and 13 [IQR 8–17] in the placebo comparator (p &lt; 0.0001). Among the randomized participants that were compliant for the full 12 weeks, the active comparators had significantly lower median PSS scores than the placebo comparators 12 weeks [10 (IQR 5–14) vs. 13 (IQR 8–17), p = 0.017]. Further, yoga practitioners had significantly lower anxiety at all three-time points (p &lt; 0.0001), lower depression at baseline and 6 weeks (p &lt; 0.0003), and significantly higher wellbeing (p &lt; 0.0001) and joy (p &lt; 0.0001) at all three-time points, compared to the active and placebo comparator groups.

Interpretation

The lower levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and higher level of wellbeing and joy seen in the yoga practitioners compared to the active and placebo comparators illustrate the impact of regular yoga practices on mental health even during the pandemic.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT 04498442.

Panic, Psycho-Behavioral Responses, and Risk Perception in the Earliest Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

Background

Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19), a rising global pandemic, has triggered psychological crises among the public. Panic, a severe symptom of mental disorders, is increasing in the public in China and it is urgent to provide research for intervention development.

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of public panic in China during the earliest stage of the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore the associated psychological behavioral responses and public's risk perception of the pandemic.

Methods

A cross-sectional study using a web-based survey with convenience sampling was conducted with 2,484 participants nationally from February 11 to February 24, 2020 in China. A self-developed questionnaire was applied to assess the prevalence of public panic and its associated factors. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to assess the risk and protective factors of public panic.

Results

There were 23.39% (581/2,484) of the participants who reported experiencing panic during the earliest stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking temperature repeatedly, being nervous in a crowd, being suspicious of infection in the family, being worried about the future, and worries about high infectivity of the COVID-19, lack of effective therapies, and wide impact of the COVID-19 pandemic increased the odds of public panic. Whereas, avoiding gatherings during holidays was negatively associated with the odds of public panic.

Conclusions

Psycho-behavioral responses were closely associated with public panic during the earliest stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Defusing excessive health-related worries, the guidance of appropriate self-protective behaviors, strengthening of health education in communities, and available treatment for mental disorders should be adopted to monitor the psychological responses and to guide the behaviors of the public.

Spatial evolution patterns of public panic on Chinese social networks amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

Novel coronavirus pneumonia has had a significant impact on people's lives and psychological health. We developed a stage model to analyse the spatial and temporal distribution of public panic during the two waves of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We used tweets with geographic location data from the popular hashtag 'Lockdown Diary' recorded from 23 January to April 8, 2020, and 'Nanjing Outbreak' recorded from 21 July to 1 September 2021 on Weibo. Combining the lexicon-based sentiment analysis and the grounded theory approach, this panic model could explain people's panic and behavioural responses in different areas at different stages of the pandemic. Next, we used the latent Dirichlet allocation topic model to reconfirm the panic model. The results showed that public sentiments fluctuated strongly in the early stages; in this case, panic and prayers were the dominant sentiments. In terms of spatial distribution, public panic showed hierarchical and neighbourhood diffusion, with highly assertive expressions of sentiment at the outbreak sites, economically developed areas, and areas surrounding the outbreak. Most importantly, we considered that public panic was affected by the 17 specific topics extracted based on the perceived and actual distance of the pandemic, thus stimulating the process of panic from minimal, acute, and mild panic to perceived rationality. Consequently, the public's behavioural responses shifted from delayed, negative, and positive, to rational behavioural responses. This study presents a novel approach to explore public panic from both a time and space perspective and provides some suggestions in response to future pandemics.

Online guided meditation training (Isha Kriya) improves self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression within 2 weeks of practice-An observational study

INTRODUCTION

Anxiety and depression have increased dramatically 2-3-fold with the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an urgent need for safe, cost-effective, and scalable approaches to alleviate this parallel mental health pandemic. Meditation has previously been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Furthermore, online delivery of mind-body interventions will be impactful in addressing disparities in access to mental healthcare. In this observational pilot study, we investigate the impact of a digitally delivered guided meditation followed by daily practice on symptoms of anxiety and depression.

METHODS

Initially, 57 male and 202 female subjects enrolled in this study. Participants attended a webinar where they learned the Isha Kriya meditation practice. They were subsequently requested to perform the intervention daily for 6 weeks. Subjects were given scales to assess anxiety and depression at baseline, 2, 4, and 6 weeks following the training. The changes in the self-reported anxiety and depression scores were examined by the linear mixed effect models.

RESULTS

Participants completed survey responses for the following time points: baseline (n = 82), week 2 (n = 58), week 4 (n = 37), and week 6 (n = 28). During the 6 weeks of the study over 68% of subjects were compliant with their daily practice. When comparing baseline with week 2, the mean anxiety scores decreased from 25.4 to 16.8 (p < 0.01, d = 1.31). Similarly, mean depression scores decreased from 15 to 8.81 (p < 0.01, d = 0.9). The reduced scores for both anxiety and depression were maintained at weeks 4 and 6.

CONCLUSION

This preliminary study assesses the effectiveness of online meditation training on self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. After 2 weeks of practice, those with baseline anxiety and depression showed significant improvement with a large effect size. The results from weeks 4 and 6 show sustained reduced anxiety and depression symptoms. These findings suggest that daily Isha Kriya practice could alleviate symptoms of these conditions. Future studies utilizing randomized control trials should be conducted to rigorously evaluate the benefits of this meditation practice on anxiety and depression.

TRIALS REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT05065476.

Psychotropics and COVID-19: An analysis of safety and prophylaxis

The use of psychotropics during the COVID-19 pandemic has raised two questions, in order of importance: first, what changes should be made to pharmacological treatments prescribed to mental health patients? Secondly, are there any positive side effects of these substances against SARS-CoV-2? Our aim was to analyze usage safety of psychotropics during COVID-19; therefore, herein, we have studied: (i) the risk of symptomatic complications of COVID-19 associated with the use of these drugs, notably central nervous system activity depression, QTc interval enlargement and infectious and thromboembolic complications; (ii) the risk of mistaking the iatrogenic impact of psychotropics with COVID-19 symptoms, causing diagnostic error. Moreover, we provided a summary of the different information available today for these risks, categorized by mental health disorder, for the following: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, ADHD, sleep disorders and suicidal risk. The matter of psychoactive substance use during the pandemic is also analyzed in this paper, and guideline websites and publications for psychotropic treatments in the context of COVID-19 are referenced during the text, so that changes on those guidelines and eventual interaction between psychotropics and COVID-19 treatment medication can be reported and studied. Finally, we also provide a literature review of the latest known antiviral properties of psychotropics against SARS-CoV-2 as complementary information.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Portuguese population: Consumption of alcohol, stimulant drinks, illegal substances, and pharmaceuticals

Background

The measures implemented by governments worldwide to control and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 have impacted the populations and directly influenced individuals’ quality of life and consumption habits.

Objective

This work investigates the Portuguese population’s changes in alcohol, stimulants drinks, illegal substances, and pharmaceutical consumptions habits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

An online questionnaire comprising seven groups of questions–with one group referring to alcohol, stimulant drinks, illegal substances, and pharmaceuticals consumption habits–was made available to the general adult population of mainland Portugal from the 26^th January through the 31^st of March 2021. After applying the inclusion criteria, 1666 questionnaires were selected and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results

Our results show that 48.9% of the participants have alcohol drinking habits and increased their alcohol consumption by 16% after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Furthermore, 8.7% of the respondents felt the need to increase their consumption of stimulant drinks, especially coffee, the most consumed stimulant drink (77.9%). We also observed that of the 3.1% of respondents who are usual consumers of illegal substances, 26.9% increased their consumption of these substances during the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerning pharmaceuticals, 23.2% of the respondents expressed their need to take a therapeutic drug after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The profile of common consumers of alcohol, stimulant drinks, illegal substances, and pharmaceuticals in the COVID-19 pandemic context is contrasting and varies according to gender, age, and employment status.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in the consumption of alcohol, stimulant drinks, illegal substances, and pharmaceuticals prescribed to treat anxiety, depression, and sleep changes in the Portuguese population. These new consumption patterns have probably aggravated domestic violence, mental diseases, and impairment of family quality of life in the Portuguese population.

Coronavirus disease-19 Pandemic-Induced Panic Disorder

Background: COVID-19 is a newly emerging infectious disease which is found to be caused by SARS-2. COVID-19 pandemic has spread worldwide causing a rapidly increasing number of mental disorders cases, primarily anxiety disorder. Since majority of panic disorder patients are present with great anxiety in response to their physical or respiratory symptoms, support and encouragement from psychiatrist or therapist are fundamental to alleviate the severity of the symptoms. Case Report: We reported a case of COVID-19 induced panic disorder in a woman, 52 years old, batak tribe who started to experience multiple panic attacks since one of her family members was confirmed to be Covid-10 positive. Conclusion: In general, panic disorder is a common diagnosis, but this case appeared to be interesting as it is induced by COVID-19 pandemic. As in this case, the individual who experienced multiple panic attack is not even a COVID-19 patient but has one of her family member affected by the virus. A wide body of evidence has shown that this pandemic massively contributes to worsening of psychosocial burden in nationwide.

Prevalence, New Incidence, Course, and Risk Factors of PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, and Panic Disorder during the Covid-19 Pandemic in 11 Countries

We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and panic disorder (PD) among citizens in 11 countries during the Covid-19 pandemic. We explored risks and protective factors most associated with the development of these mental health disorders and their course at 68 days follow up. We acquired 9543 unique responses via an online survey that was disseminated in UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, India, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Sweden. The prevalence and new incidence during the pandemic for at least one disorder was 48.6% and 17.6%, with the new incidence of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorder being 11.4%, 8.4%, 9.3%, and 3%, respectively. Higher resilience was associated with lower mental health burden for all disorders. Ten to thirteen associated factors explained 79% of the variance in PTSD, 80% in anxiety, 78% in depression, and 89% in PD. To reduce the mental health burden, governments should refrain from implementing many highly restrictive and lasting containment measures. Public health campaigns should focus their effort on alleviating stress and fear, promoting resilience, building public trust in government and medical care, and persuading the population of the measures' effectiveness. Psychosocial services and resources should be allocated to facilitate individual and community-level recovery from the pandemic.

Perceived stress, resilience, well-being, and COVID 19 response in Isha yoga practitioners compared to matched controls: A research protocol

Objectives

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a significant stressor worldwide and reports of psychological distress, depression, sedentary lifestyles, and overall decreased wellbeing are increasing. Yoga practices have been found to improve mental and physical health. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to compare Isha yoga practitioners to controls on perceived stress, resilience, wellbeing, and protection and recovery from COVID-19. Trial Design. In this prospective randomized control trial, the effects of yoga practices are being compared between seasoned yoga practitioners with two controls who are age (±3 years), gender matched, and living in the same neighborhood.

Methods

Participants will be asked to complete a series of web-based surveys at baseline, six weeks, and 12 weeks. These surveys include validated scales and objective questions on COVID-19 infection and medical history. The validated questionnaires assess stress, mood states, resilience, and overall wellbeing. Questionnaires, weekly activity diaries, and medical history, will be collected using REDCap.

Results

We hypothesize that routine yoga practice during the COVID-19 pandemic will reduce stress, enhance well-being, and provide protective effects against COVID-19.

Conclusion

With the growing concern about the physical and mental impacts of COVID-19 and increased interest in alternative practices such as yogic practices, this study will contribute to the growing body of evidence about the safety and efficacy of yoga for emotional, mental, and physical health conditions.

Narrative Review of COVID-19 Impact on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Child, Adolescent and Adult Clinical Populations

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine had a significant impact on mental health which resulted in an increase of anxiety and depression in adult, child and adolescent clinical populations. Less is known about the potential effect of pandemic on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) so there is a lack of review work to illustrate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on OCD. Purpose: The main objective is to review all the empirical contributions published after March 2020 that dealt with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on OCD in adults, children and adolescents, investigating the state-of-the-art literature concerning the impact on OCD and detailing limitations. Methods: The literature search was conducted using PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar. This review analyzed all studies from January 2020 to 8 January 2021, focusing on clinical populations of children, adolescents, and adults with OCD. Results: A total of 102 articles were screened, resulting in the identification of 64 full-text articles to be further scrutinized. Upon closer examination, there was consensus that 39 articles met the study inclusion criteria and 14 of these were selected for study. Analysis of the results revealed that COVID-19 had an impact on OCD in both adults and young people and seems to have caused exacerbation of symptoms, especially of the contamination/washing subtypes. Eight studies in adult samples showed an increase in the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms; two studies underlined a minimal impact of COVID-19 on OCD patients and one study showed a slight improvement in symptoms. Two out of three studies on children and adolescents showed an exacerbation of OCD and a worsening even in the presence of an ongoing treatment. Conclusions: The studies reviewed are few. There are more studies on adult OCD than on children and adolescents. The results are controversial: few studies examined OCD subtypes; in most studies the typology of treatment was not clear and the samples covered a wide age range; a large number of studies did not use the same monitoring period or quantitative measures, both of which make it difficult to compare or rely on the results.

The Investor Psychology and Stock Market Behavior During the Initial Era of COVID-19: A Study of China, Japan, and the United States

A highly transmittable and pathogenic viral infection, COVID-19, has dramatically changed the world with a tragically large number of human lives being lost. The epidemic has created psychological resilience and unbearable psychological pressure among patients and health professionals. The objective of this study is to analyze investor psychology and stock market behavior during COVID-19. The psychological behavior of investors, whether positive or negative, toward the stock market can change the picture of the economy. This research explores Shanghai, Nikkei 225, and Dow Jones stock markets from January 20, 2020, to April 27, 2020, by employing principal component analysis. The results showed that investor psychology was negatively related to three selected stock markets under psychological resilience and pandemic pressure. The negative emotions and pessimism urge investors to cease financial investment in the stock market, and consequently, the stock market returns decreased. In a deadly pandemic, the masses were more concerned about their lives and livelihood and less about wealth and leisure. This research contributes to the literature gap of investors’ psychological behavior during a pandemic outbreak. The study suggests that policy-makers should design a plan to fight against COVID-19. The government should manage the health sector’s budget to overcome future crises.