An infectious disease pandemic and increased suicide risk

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health of university teachers and students: a scoping review

Objective

To identify the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health of university professors and students. Method: Scoping review following the protocol recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The research question followed the order imposed by the mnemonic “PCC” (Population, Concept, and Context), namely: what are the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health of university professors and students?

Results

The analysis sample consisted of 29 texts in article format. Two main categories of health repercussions were observed, namely: category 1—repercussions on mental health; category 2—repercussions on physical health.

Conclusion

It is understood that harmful effects on mental health will be an ever-present reality in the university context, since exhaustion is a characteristic of academic work itself. This situation can have serious consequences for the individual, requiring intervention projects combined with public policies that minimize these effects. It is necessary to review the role of the university in today’s society.

The impact of inflammatory and metabolic markers on depression, anxiety, and cognition after COVID-19: a narrative review

OBJECTIVES

There has been growing concern about the long-term effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on mental health. The biological factors common to psychiatric conditions and COVID-19 are not yet fully understood.

METHODOS

We narratively reviewed prospective longitudinal studies that measured metabolic or inflammatory markers and assessed psychiatric sequelae and cognitive impairment in individuals with COVID-19 at least 3 months after infection. A literature search identified three relevant cohort studies.

RESULTS

Overall, depressive symptomatology and cognitive deficits persisted for up to 1 year after COVID-19; depression and cognitive changes were predicted by acute inflammatory markers, and changes in these markers correlated with changes in depressive symptomatology; female sex, obesity, and the presence of inflammatory markers were associated with more severe clusters of physical and mental health status in patients' self-perceived recovery; and plasma metabolic profiles of patients continued to differ from those of healthy controls 3 months after hospital discharge, which were associated with widespread alterations in neuroimaging, reflecting issues with white matter integrity.

CONCLUSION

In individuals affected by COVID-19, prolonged exposure to stress and alterations in metabolic and inflammatory markers play a central role in psychiatric sequelae and cognitive deficits in the long term.

Exploring the Role of Infodemics in People’s Incompliance with Preventive Measures during the COVID-19 in Conflict Settings (Mixed Method Study)

The evolving availability of health information on social media, regardless of its credibility, raises several questions about its impact on our health decisions and social behaviors, especially during health crises and in conflict settings where compliance with preventive measures and health guidelines is already a challenge due to socioeconomic factors. For these reasons, we assessed compliance with preventive measures and investigated the role of infodemic in people’s non-compliance with COVID-19 containment measures in Yemen. To this purpose and to triangulate our data collection, we executed a mixed method approach in which raw aggregated data were taken and analyzed from multiple sources (COVID-19 Government Response Tracker and Google COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports), then complemented and verified with In-depth interviews. Our results showed that the population in Yemen had relatively complied with the governmental containment measures at the beginning of the pandemic. However, containment measures were not supported by daily COVID-19 reports due to low transparency, which, together with misinformation and lack of access to reliable sources, has caused the population not to believe in COVID-19 and even practice social pressure on those who showed some compliance with the WHO guidelines. Those results indicate the importance of adopting an infodemic management approach in response to future outbreaks, particularly in conflict settings.

Service Dogs and Persons with Disabilities: When COVID-19 Lockdown Changes Their Relationship

Persons with disabilities, who own service dogs, develop strong relationships with them. Since the COVID-19 pandemic decreased the possibility of social contact and modified human relationships, we hypothesized that the COVID-19 lockdown would influence people with disabilities-service dog relationships. An online survey was conducted during the first COVID-19 lockdown in France and included information (e.g., MONASH score) both in the general context prior to and during the COVID-19 lockdown. Seventy owners participated. Compared to the general context, scores for the Perceived Emotional Closeness and Perceived Costs subscales were significantly higher during the COVID-19 lockdown, while scores for the Dog-Owner Interaction subscale were significantly lower during the COVID-19 lockdown. Our study confirmed that service dogs, like other pets, were a source of emotional support for their owners during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, people with disabilities found their relationship with their service dog costlier (e.g., my dog makes too much mess). Our study highlights that, in extreme situations, characteristics of a human-animal relationship can be exacerbated in both positive and negative ways.

Increased incidence of high-lethality suicide attempts after the declaration of the state of alarm due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Salamanca: A real-world observational study

The coronavirus pandemic has led to people getting involved in harmful behaviors. In our observational study, we assessed 241 patients with suicidal thoughts or behaviors in the emergency room before, during, and after the lockdown, from January to July 2020. After the lockdown, retired patients made higher-lethality attempts, and consultations related to suicide were less frequent, but active suicidal behaviors were more frequent. Men tended to use more lethal methods, and women made more suicidal gestures and had more suicide-related consultations. We observed an increase in the lethality of the attempts after the declaration of the state of alarm.

Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Families of People with Severe Mental Disorders Participating in Community Peer Support Groups in Brazil

People with severe mental disorders are at increased risk of dying from COVID-19 and more susceptible to the impacts of the pandemic. This study aims to understand how the families of patients with severe mental disorders followed up in community peer support groups experienced the beginning of the pandemic in Brazil and how they fared during the period of restricted physical contact. Family members (n = 82) and patients (n = 27) belonging to community groups in Rio de Janeiro responded to an online survey that included assessments of quality of life and well-being along with open-ended questions. Thematic analysis of the answers showed that the majority of remarks were positive, despite the concerns, fears, and feelings common at the time. Positive feelings were also mentioned significantly. These findings demonstrate that this population was adaptive and resilient in coping with the restrictions on physical contact. The main concerns and difficulties of this population are discussed.

Quality and quantity of serious violent suicide attempts during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

While repeated shutdown and lockdown measures helped contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and self-isolation negatively impacted global mental health in 2020 and 2021. Although suicide rates did reportedly not increase during the first months of the pandemic, long-term data, and data on the quality of serious violent suicide attempts (SVSAs) are not available to date.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Orthopaedic trauma patient visits to the emergency department (ED), ED trauma team activations, and SVSAs were retrospectively evaluated from January 2019 until May 2021 in four Level-I Trauma Centers in Berlin, Germany. SVSAs were assessed for suicide method, injury pattern and severity, type of treatment, and length of hospital stay.

RESULTS

Significantly fewer orthopaedic trauma patients presented to EDs during the pandemic (n = 70,271) compared to the control (n = 84,864) period (p = 0.0017). ED trauma team activation numbers remained unchanged. SVSAs (corrected for seasonality) also remained unchanged during control (n = 138) and pandemic (n = 129) periods, and no differences were observed for suicide methods, injury patterns, or length of hospital stay.

CONCLUSION

Our data emphasize that a previously reported rise in psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemic does not coincide with increased SVSA rates or changes in quality of SVSAs.

[Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: Comparison between residents of metropolitan France and of Reunion Island]

OBJECTIVES

The COVID-19 pandemic raised a lot of anxiety around the world. France is composed of several overseas territories with major cultural differences but also with a different exposure to the COVID-19. Reunion Island is the most populated overseas French department, but few researches have focused on this population. Therefore, the main objective was to explore and compare the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (perceived stress, risk and fear of being infected, severity, lockdown respect, perceived stress, quality of life, quality of relationship, loneliness, resilience) during the lockdown among residents of metropolitan France and of Reunion Island.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A sample of 347 participants, aged from 18 to 78 (M=37.90; DS=13.20) replied to a questionnaire posted online during the last ten days of the lockdown in France. The sample is divided into 227 metropolitans (M=38.24 DS=13.41; 13.2% of men) and 120 residents of Reunion Island (M=37.26; DS=12.81; 31.7% of men). Resilience, loneliness and perceived stress have been assessed using validating scales while specific items have been created to assess COVID-19 impacts.

RESULTS

The majority of the total sample has been little exposed to the COVID-19, but the estimated severity was high throughout the sample. Several significant differences have been observed between overseas and metropolitans. The latter, who were more exposed, were more respectful of lockdown measures and felt more concerned about being contaminated. They also had different professional activities (work at home, stop working) since the lockdown than did the overseas sample. Non-significant higher scores of resilience and quality of life during the lockdown contrast in the overseas sample, who estimated risk, fear and severity similarly. In correlational analyses, many relationships were significant only in one sample. For example, in metropolitans the higher the loneliness, the higher the severity. In the other sample, the higher the perceived stress, the higher the respect of lockdown measures, while more metropolitans felt lonely the more they respected these measures. Regressional analysis showed different predictive variables of the scores of perceived stress and fear of being contaminated. In metropolitans, stress was explained by COVID-19 related variables (fear, severity, respect), loneliness and negatively by resilience and quality of life while in the other sample it was explained by fear of being infected and negatively by resilience. Fear of being infected was explained by risk and stress in the overseas, but also by quality of life in the metropolitan sample.

CONCLUSIONS

This study brings new data on the important psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on two French samples. Observed differences highlight a higher fear of being infected among the metropolitans who were generally more exposed. Overseas from La Réunion did not feel more spared by this risk, despite the limited number of cases since the appearance of the first case in March 11th and the end of the lockdown in May 11th. Despite exposure, our results could be explained by several cultural differences such as way of life or beliefs. Overseas life in Reunion Island might bring more resilience and less loneliness given the particular familial, social and religious functioning. Given the limits of this study and the lack of similar comparisons, more work could highlight the protective factors of these populations.

Special Report from the CDC: Strengthening social connections to prevent suicide and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs): Actions and opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic

INTRODUCTION

During this time ofintensified hardship and disruption due to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, communities, practitioners, and state and local governments have had to rapidly implement and adapt strategies that support mental health and wellbeing during a global pandemic. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and at least half of the top 10 leading causes of death have been associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). A number of established risk factors for suicide and ACEs may have been exacerbated by the pandemic, including loneliness and the lack of connectedness.

METHOD

This article briefly considers the effects of COVID-19 on social connection and outlines the importance of adapting and developing programming and resources that address suicide and ACEs prevention during a time of infrastructure disruption. Practical Applications: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the ways that many individuals are able to safely interact and socially connect due to public health prevention strategies implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19. Local, city, and state government, community organizations, and public health and medical practitioners should consider the adaptation and development of existing and new programming, resources, and activities that support and strengthen social connection. In addition to implementing programs, policies may help address systemic and structural barriers to social connection, such as access to parks and open space, public transportation, or digital connectivity.

The COVID-19 Outbreak and Subjects With Mental Disorders Who Presented to an Italian Psychiatric Emergency Department

ABSTRACT

We performed a retrospective study from January to May 2020 to establish the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with mental health problems who arrived at an Italian emergency department during the COVID-19 outbreak. We divided the sample into two groups taking as a watershed March 11, when the World Health Organization announced COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. Chi-square/t-tests, adjusted p values (Bonferroni method), and regression analysis were performed. Patients who arrived at the emergency department during the lockdown decreased by 56%; showed greater active suicidal ideation, more tension, and more severe psychopathological state; were living alone more frequently; and were taking home treatment mainly based on second-generation antipsychotics. According to our study, it seems that patients with mental disorders have consulted psychiatric services less frequently during the pandemic, but the economic, health, and social distress may be linked with an increase in suicidal risk and the severity of the psychopathological state.

Depression and insomnia in COVID-19 survivors: a cross-sectional survey from Chinese rehabilitation centers in Anhui province

Background

Suffering from COVID-19 is a strong psychological stressor to the patients. Even after recovery, patients are prone to a variety of mental health problems. Recently, some studies focus on the psychological situation of patients when they got COVID-19. However, no study focused on the psychological status of recovered COVID-19-infected patients in China. Our study aims to investigate sleep and mood status, and detect the influencing factors of the psychological status of the COVID-19 patients after recovery.

Methods

One hundred and twenty-five COVID-19 patients were enrolled from February to April 2020. The social demographic information of all participants was collected by a self-designed questionnaire. Insomnia and depression symptoms were evaluated through the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the Center for Epidemiology Scale for Depression (CES-D).

Results

The rates of insomnia and depression were 26.45% and 9.92% in the COVID-19 patients after recovery. There were significant differences in physical, mental impairment, and the need for psychological assistance between the COVID-19 recovered patients with depression and the patients without depression. In addition, age and health status may be the influencing factors for insomnia, and care about the views of others may be the influencing factor of depression (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Based on the results, we found that COVID-19 recovered patients had a low rate of depression and a high rate of insomnia. We need to pay more attention to their sleep condition than mood status.

Development of Case Numbers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Center of Maximum-Care for Traumatology and Orthopedic Oncology

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant change in the utilization of trauma surgery and tumor orthopedic hospital facilities. (2) Methods: In a monocentric retrospective analysis, the weekly numbers of cases requiring intra-clinical treatment in the first four months of 2020 were compared with those of 2019. Patients' visits to the emergency department and shock room, consultation hours, work-related accidents, case numbers in the normal and intensive care units, ventilation hours, the "Simplified Acute Physiology Score/ Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System" (SAPS/TISS), the average length of stay in hospital, the number of operations and their degree of urgency, as well as deaths, were analyzed in a study based on the data from 7606 outpatient consultations in 2019 and 6755 in 2020, as well as 993 inpatient cases in 2019 and 950 in 2020. (3) Results: There was a significant reduction in the number of treatments per week in the emergency department (261 ± 29 vs. 165 ± 25; p < 0.001) with the same number of shock room treatments and fewer consultation hour contacts (226 ± 29 vs. 119 ± 65; p = 0.012). There were fewer inpatient cases (66 ± 7 vs. 42 ± 11; p = 0.001), resulting in a fall in the days of hospitalization (492 ± 63 vs. 308 ± 78; p < 0.001) and number of operations (73 ± 7 vs. 55 ± 10; p = 0.012), especially elective procedures (20 ± 3 vs. 7 ± 7; p = 0.008). The SAPS/TISS score was lower (1351 ± 1213 vs. 399 ± 281; p = 0.023). Fewer fracture treatments and septic surgeries were performed, while the number of procedures to treat orthopedic malignancies remained constant. (4) Conclusions: During the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed a significant reduction in the number of cases treated in orthopedics. While the number of multiple-injured patients was unchanged, fewer patients presented for primary and regular care. Treatment of acute injuries and malignant tumor diseases was not at risk. There was no effect on in-house mortality. We see a potential for the recruitment of medical staff from the outpatient department, operating room, and the ward. In the event of a future second wave, our results may allow for early planning, particularly of the all-important human resources. Reorganization by hospitals and decreased patient numbers in trauma surgery can enable the reallocation of medical staff, equipment, and beds to increase capacity for COVID-19 patients.