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Schenk M, Baldofski S, Hall F, Urbansky T, Strauß M, Kohls E, Rummel-Kluge C. "Loneliness is killing me?!": the subjective emotional experience of loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic: results of a cross-sectional study in patients with a psychiatric disorder. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2025; 60:953-965. [PMID: 39714478 PMCID: PMC12031801 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-024-02808-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 12/16/2024] [Indexed: 12/24/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE During the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in loneliness as well as mental health issues was detected. However, research on the association between loneliness and mental disorders is sparse. The aim of this study was to examine loneliness and associated social and emotional factors in patients with a psychiatric disorder and to investigate potential predictors of loneliness. METHODS Participants were N = 230 patients currently receiving psychiatric treatment at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany. A cross-sectional survey included questionnaires on loneliness, life satisfaction, need to belong, interpersonal trust, stress, and resilience. RESULTS Most participants (n = 91, 39.6%) suffered from depression, followed by anxiety disorder (n = 43, 18.7%). Significantly higher loneliness levels compared to norm samples were detected in all three loneliness questionnaires (all p <.05), and overall n = 128 (57.7%) reported to feel lonely. In addition, participants reported lower life satisfaction, lower interpersonal trust, and lower resilience than the general population (all p <.05). No significant differences in loneliness levels between different psychiatric diagnoses were revealed. It was found that lower satisfaction with life, lower interpersonal trust and lower resilience were significantly associated with higher loneliness (all p <.05). CONCLUSION This study underlines the importance to continue research on loneliness in people with mental disorders after the COVID-19 pandemic since the majority of patients reported to feel lonely. Further, tailored therapy-accompanying interventions to prevent loneliness in patients with a psychiatric disorder should be designed and evaluated to meet patients' diverse needs e.g., through online programs. TRIAL REGISTRATION German Clinical Trial Registration: DRKS00023741 (registered on April 6, 2021).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Schenk
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Semmelweisstr. 10, Haus 13, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Sabrina Baldofski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Semmelweisstr. 10, Haus 13, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Fabian Hall
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Semmelweisstr. 10, Haus 13, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Tony Urbansky
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Semmelweisstr. 10, Haus 13, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Maria Strauß
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Kohls
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Semmelweisstr. 10, Haus 13, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christine Rummel-Kluge
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Semmelweisstr. 10, Haus 13, Leipzig, 04103, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany.
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Lantos T, Nyári TA. The impact of the first year of COVID-19 pandemic on suicides in a collection of 27 EU-related countries. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17671. [PMID: 39085389 PMCID: PMC11291984 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68604-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Disasters, including epidemics, have a characteristic course, both in terms of the specific events and the human reactions to them. However, it is difficult to predict whether the COVID-19 pandemic will eventually lead to an increase in suicide rates. We aimed to provide a general pattern of the change in suicide rates in the countries linked to the European Union by direct comparison of the years 2019 and 2020 by gender and age group, grouped according to the predominant religions. Overall, 27 countries were included in the analysis. Incidence rate ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated to characterise annual changes in the incidence of suicide deaths. In almost two-thirds of the countries studied, suicide rates did not increase. The largest increases were observed in Catholic-majority and 'mixed' Catholic-Protestant countries, but this was significant only for the oldest age group (over 65 years). This increase was even more marked within some Catholic-majority countries (Hungary, Ireland, and Spain) during the first months of the pandemic. There was no statistically significant increase overall in the suicide death rates in Europe. However, the pattern of suicide rates has changed significantly in some countries, and by age group and religion, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Lantos
- Department of Medical Physics and Informatics, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 9 Korányi Alley, Szeged, 6720, Hungary.
| | - Tibor András Nyári
- Department of Medical Physics and Informatics, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 9 Korányi Alley, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
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Carmassi C, Tosato S, Pedrinelli V, Bertelloni CA, Abbate-Daga G, Albert U, Castellini G, Luciano M, Menchetti M, Pompili M, Sampogna G, Signorelli M, Massimetti G, Fiorillo A. Longitudinal trajectories of anxiety and depression in subjects with different mental disorders after one year in the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry Res 2024; 334:115680. [PMID: 38368843 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to prospectively assess the development and trajectories of anxiety and depressive symptoms among subjects with different mental disorders, during the 3rd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (T0, March-April 2021) while strict containment measures were applied in Italy, and after 3 months (T1, June-July 2021), with reduced restrictive measures. A sample of 527 subjects, with different DSM-5 diagnoses, was enrolled at nine Italian psychiatric outpatient services. Assessments at T0 and T1 included the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7) for anxiety symptoms, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depressive symptoms. Differences in anxiety and depressive symptoms rates emerged across different mental disorders and a general improvement at T1 was detected for all of them in both the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores, except for Psychosis and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Patients with Feeding and Eating Disorders (FED) reported statistically significantly higher: GAD-7 scores than those with Bipolar Disorder (BD), at both times, and Anxiety Disorders at baseline; PHQ-9 scores than all other diagnostic categories, at both times. Unemployment, no COVID-19 infection, OCD were predictive variables related to GAD-7 scores at T1, while being unmarried, BD or FED related to PHQ-9 scores at T1. Subjects with mental disorders reported anxiety and depressive symptoms during the third pandemic wave and most of patients showed an improvement over a 3-month follow-up, despite differences emerged among diagnostic categories and for the variables involved. Further studies are needed to deepen knowledge on pandemic impact on patients with mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Carmassi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Sarah Tosato
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Virginia Pedrinelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Carlo A Bertelloni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Abbate-Daga
- Department of Neurosciences "Rita Levi Montalcini", University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Umberto Albert
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste and Department of Mental Health, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina - ASUGI, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giovanni Castellini
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy
| | - Mario Luciano
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Menchetti
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sense Organs, University of Roma "La Sapienza", Roma, Italy
| | - Gaia Sampogna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Signorelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Psychiatry Unit, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Gabriele Massimetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Fiorillo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
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Qiu J, Zhang C, Xie J, Lin S, Ren H, Huang X, Xu T. Psychological profile of Chinese peritoneal dialysis patients during the Omicron pandemic in 2022. BMC Psychol 2024; 12:109. [PMID: 38429814 PMCID: PMC10908154 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01615-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine the psychological status of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients who were blocked during the 2022 Omic Pandemic in Shanghai. METHODS This was an observational and cross-sectional study. We selected 172 PD patients from the peritoneal dialysis center of Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, during the quarantine of the Omicron pandemic in Shanghai from April to May 2022. General data and biochemical indices were collected. The Kidney Disease Quality of Life (SF-36) questionnaire was used to evaluate the psychological state of the patients during the quarantine. RESULTS According to the assessment of the SF-36 scale, the physiological and psychological health status of PD patients was better than that before quarantine (P < 0.05). According to the comparison of biochemical indices, the high-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol and body mass index (BMI) levels were lower in patients after quarantine than before quarantine, while the blood phosphorus, blood calcium and haemoglobin levels were greater after quarantine (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that health changes were positively correlated with age of penetration (years) (OR = 1.031, 95% CI = 1.005-1.058); however, physiological function was negatively correlated with sex (OR = 0.198, 95% CI = 0.044-0.899). Energy was significantly positively correlated with closed-loop time (OR = 1.063, 95% CI = 1.001-1.128) (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in biochemical indices or quality of life between APD patients and non-APD patients (P > 0.05). According to the results of the abstract independent sample T test, when comparing the various dimensions of the SF-36 scale, for the dimensions of physiological function, pain and energy, the PD patients were better than the HD patients were (P < 0.05). Similarly, for the dimension of physiological function, the HD patients were better than the PD patients were (P < 0.05). During the quarantine period from April to May in Shanghai, the infection rate of PD patients was lower than usual (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS During the Omicron pandemic in Shanghai in 2022, PD patients exhibited relatively stable psychological and physiological states and a low infection rate. Compared with HD patients, PD patients had better adaptability. Especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, peritoneal dialysis has more advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Qiu
- Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai TCM-Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunyan Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingyuan Xie
- Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shan Lin
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai TCM-Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Ren
- Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaomin Huang
- Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Tian Xu
- Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Zamanzadeh A, Banerjee R, Cavoli T. Job loss and mental disorders: International evidence from the early stages of COVID-19 outbreak. Stress Health 2024; 40:e3287. [PMID: 37417355 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Using a rich individual level dataset from six countries, we examine the relationship between job loss and mental disorders during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. We consider four indicators of mental disorders based on their severity, viz. anxiety, insomnia, boredom, and loneliness. We draw our conclusions based on two groups of countries that differ by the timing of their peak infections count. Using a logit and a two-stage least squares (TSLS) regression methods, we find that the people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic are more likely to suffer from mental disorders, especially insomnia and loneliness. Additionally, people with financial liabilities, such as housing mortgages, are among those vulnerable to anxiety. Women, urban residents, youth, low-income groups, and tobacco users are more prone to mental disorders. The findings from this research have significant policy implications on infectious disease control measures and mental health conditions due to lockdowns and social distancing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akbar Zamanzadeh
- University of South Australia, UniSA Business, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Rajabrata Banerjee
- University of South Australia, UniSA Business, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Tony Cavoli
- University of South Australia, UniSA Business, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Camargo D, Navarro-Tapia E, Pérez-Tur J, Cardona F. Relationship between COVID-19 Pandemic Confinement and Worsening or Onset of Depressive Disorders. Brain Sci 2023; 13:899. [PMID: 37371377 PMCID: PMC10296361 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13060899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies indicate that the pandemic and associated confinement measures may have had an impact on mental health, producing the onset or persistence of symptoms such as stress, anxiety, depression, and fear. This systematic review aims to identify the factors influencing the onset or worsening of depressive symptoms during COVID-19-related confinement. Our systematic search produced 451 articles from selected databases, 398 of which were excluded based on established criteria, while 53 were selected for review. Most studies have reported an increase in the prevalence of depressive symptoms in the general population during the first weeks of confinement. The predominant risk factors associated with the appearance of depressive symptoms included female sex, low educational level, young age, economic difficulties, comorbidities, and a history of previous depressive episodes. People with a pre-existing diagnosis of depressive disorder generally experienced a worsening of their symptoms during confinement in most of the reviewed studies. Moreover, symptomatology persisted at higher levels post-confinement, without significant improvement despite relief in confinement measures. Therefore, ongoing evaluations of post-pandemic depressive symptoms are necessary to advance the knowledge of the relationship between pandemics and depression, allowing accurate conclusions and associations to be made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Camargo
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Valencian International University (VIU), 46002 Valencia, Spain; (D.C.); (E.N.-T.)
| | - Elisabet Navarro-Tapia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Valencian International University (VIU), 46002 Valencia, Spain; (D.C.); (E.N.-T.)
| | - Jordi Pérez-Tur
- Unitat de Genètica Molecular, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia-CSIC, 46010 Valencia, Spain;
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Cardona
- Unitat de Genètica Molecular, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia-CSIC, 46010 Valencia, Spain;
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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