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Gordon M, Jayakumar N, Atzema C, Korczak DJ, Kennedy S, Schaffer A, Goldstein B, Orser BA, Yee D, Fiksenbaum L, Choi LHL, Phillips A, McFarlan A, Kreller M, Freedman C, Tanenbaum B, McDowall D, Ceniti A, Sinyor M. Self-harm presentations to hospital trauma centre emergency departments during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry Res 2024; 336:115892. [PMID: 38642422 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns regarding increased suicide-related behaviours. We compared characteristics and counts of Emergency Department (ED) presentations for self-harm, an important suicide-related outcome, during versus prior to the pandemic's first year. We included patients presenting with self-harm to the ED of two trauma centres in Toronto, Canada. Time series models compared intra-pandemic (March 2020-February 2021) presentation counts to predictions from pre-pandemic data. The self-harm proportion of ED presentations was compared between the intra-pandemic period and preceding three years. A retrospective chart review of eligible patients seen from March 2019-February 2021 compared pre- vs. intra-pandemic patient and injury characteristics. While monthly intra-pandemic self-harm counts were largely within expected ranges, the self-harm proportion of total presentations increased. Being widowed (OR=9.46; 95 %CI=1.10-81.08), employment/financial stressors (OR=1.65, 95 %CI=1.06-2.58), job loss (OR=3.83; 95 %CI=1.36-10.76), and chest-stabbing self-harm (OR=2.50; 95 %CI=1.16-5.39) were associated with intra-pandemic presentations. Intra-pandemic self-harm was also associated with Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission (OR=2.18, 95 %CI=1.41-3.38). In summary, while the number of self-harm presentations to these trauma centres did not increase during the early pandemic, their proportion was increased. The association of intra-pandemic self-harm with variables indicating medically severe injury, economic stressors, and being widowed may inform future suicide and self-harm prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Gordon
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto M4N 3M5, ON, Canada; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. 1 King's College Circle, Toronto M5S 1A8, ON, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa. 451 Smyth Rd, Ottawa K1H 8M5, ON, Canada.
| | - Navitha Jayakumar
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto M4N 3M5, ON, Canada
| | - Clare Atzema
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto M4N 3M5, ON, Canada; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. 1 King's College Circle, Toronto M5S 1A8, ON, Canada
| | - Daphne J Korczak
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. 1 King's College Circle, Toronto M5S 1A8, ON, Canada; The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto M5G 1X8, ON, Canada
| | - Sidney Kennedy
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. 1 King's College Circle, Toronto M5S 1A8, ON, Canada; St. Michael's Hospital. 36 Queen St E, Toronto M5B 1W8, ON, Canada
| | - Ayal Schaffer
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto M4N 3M5, ON, Canada; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. 1 King's College Circle, Toronto M5S 1A8, ON, Canada
| | - Benjamin Goldstein
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. 1 King's College Circle, Toronto M5S 1A8, ON, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. 250 College St, Toronto M5T 1R8, ON, Canada
| | - Beverley A Orser
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto M4N 3M5, ON, Canada; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. 1 King's College Circle, Toronto M5S 1A8, ON, Canada
| | - Doreen Yee
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto M4N 3M5, ON, Canada; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. 1 King's College Circle, Toronto M5S 1A8, ON, Canada
| | - Lisa Fiksenbaum
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto M4N 3M5, ON, Canada; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. 1 King's College Circle, Toronto M5S 1A8, ON, Canada; York University. 4700 Keele St, Toronto M3J 1P3, ON, Canada
| | - Liz Hanbyul Lee Choi
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto M4N 3M5, ON, Canada
| | - Andrea Phillips
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto M4N 3M5, ON, Canada
| | - Amanda McFarlan
- St. Michael's Hospital. 36 Queen St E, Toronto M5B 1W8, ON, Canada
| | - Margaret Kreller
- The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto M5G 1X8, ON, Canada
| | - Corey Freedman
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto M4N 3M5, ON, Canada
| | - Brandy Tanenbaum
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto M4N 3M5, ON, Canada
| | - Dorothy McDowall
- The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto M5G 1X8, ON, Canada
| | - Amanda Ceniti
- St. Michael's Hospital. 36 Queen St E, Toronto M5B 1W8, ON, Canada
| | - Mark Sinyor
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto M4N 3M5, ON, Canada; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. 1 King's College Circle, Toronto M5S 1A8, ON, Canada
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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D’Urso G, Magliacano A, Manzo M, Pomes MV, Iuliano C, Iasevoli F, Dell’Osso B, de Bartolomeis A. Impact of Benzodiazepines and Illness Duration on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder during COVID-19 in Italy: Exploring Symptoms' Evolutionary Benefits. Brain Sci 2024; 14:338. [PMID: 38671989 PMCID: PMC11048407 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14040338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is believed to follow a waxing and waning course, often according to environmental stressors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, pre-existing OCD symptoms were reported to increase and to change from checking to washing behaviors, while new-onset symptoms were predominantly of the hoarding type. In the present study, we followed the evolution of OCD symptoms, anxiety, depression, and insights of illness in forty-six OCD patients throughout the pandemic. Clinical measures were collected at four different time points before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. Within-subject comparisons were used to compare clinical scale scores across time, and correlations were examined between patients' baseline characteristics and changes in clinical scores. We found that all clinical measures increased during the first Italian lockdown with respect to the pre-pandemic values. Anxiety decreased during the temporary elimination of restriction provisions, whereas the severity of OCD symptoms and insight returned to pre-pandemic values during the second mandatory lockdown. These results were observed only in two sub-groups of patients: those taking benzodiazepines and those with shorter illness duration. Our findings suggest the need for additional clinical attention to these specific sub-groups of OCD patients in case of particularly distressing circumstances while pointing to a possible adaptive role of their OCD symptoms when the environment requires a higher care of hygiene and an extraordinary supply of essential resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giordano D’Urso
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive, and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.M.); (M.V.P.); (F.I.); (A.d.B.)
| | | | - Marco Manzo
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive, and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.M.); (M.V.P.); (F.I.); (A.d.B.)
| | - Mattia Vittorio Pomes
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive, and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.M.); (M.V.P.); (F.I.); (A.d.B.)
| | - Carla Iuliano
- School of Cognitive Psychotherapy (SPC), 80100 Naples, Italy;
| | - Felice Iasevoli
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive, and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.M.); (M.V.P.); (F.I.); (A.d.B.)
| | - Bernardo Dell’Osso
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, 20157 Milan, Italy;
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Bipolar Disorders Clinic, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- “Aldo Ravelli” Center for Nanotechnology and Neurostimulation, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea de Bartolomeis
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive, and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.M.); (M.V.P.); (F.I.); (A.d.B.)
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Farrell LJ, Waters AM, Storch EA, Simcock G, Perkes IE, Grisham JR, Dyason KM, Ollendick TH. Closing the Gap for Children with OCD: A Staged-Care Model of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with Exposure and Response Prevention. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2023; 26:642-664. [PMID: 37405675 PMCID: PMC10465687 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-023-00439-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is among the most prevalent and disabling mental health conditions affecting children and adolescents. Although the distress and burden associated with childhood OCD are well documented and empirically supported treatments are available, there remains an unacceptable "treatment gap" and "quality gap" in the provision of services for youth suffering from OCD. The treatment gap represents the large number of children who never receive mental health services for OCD, while the quality gap refers to the children and young people who do access services, but do not receive evidence-based, cognitive behavioural therapy with exposure and response prevention (CBT-ERP). We propose a novel staged-care model of CBT-ERP that aims to improve the treatment access to high-quality CBT-ERP, as well as enhance the treatment outcomes for youth. In staged care, patients receive hierarchically arranged service packages that vary according to the intensity, duration, and mix of treatment options, with provision of care from prevention, early intervention, through to first and second-line treatments. Based on a comprehensive review of the literature on treatment outcomes and predictors of treatments response, we propose a preliminary staging algorithm to determine the level of clinical care, informed by three key determinants: severity of illness, comorbidity, and prior treatment history. The proposed clinical staging model for paediatric OCD prioritises high-quality care for children at all stages and levels of illness, utilising empirically supported CBT-ERP, across multiple modalities, combined with evidence-informed, clinical decision-making heuristics. While informed by evidence, the proposed staging model requires empirical validation before it is ready for prime time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara J Farrell
- School of Applied Psychology & Griffith University Centre for Mental Health, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD, 4222, Australia.
| | - Allison M Waters
- School of Applied Psychology & Griffith University Centre for Mental Health, Griffith University, Mount Gravatt Campus, Mount Gravatt, Australia
| | | | - Gabrielle Simcock
- School of Applied Psychology & Griffith University Centre for Mental Health, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD, 4222, Australia
| | - Iain E Perkes
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jessica R Grisham
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Katelyn M Dyason
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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5
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Steardo L, Steardo L, Scuderi C. Astrocytes and the Psychiatric Sequelae of COVID-19: What We Learned from the Pandemic. Neurochem Res 2023; 48:1015-1025. [PMID: 35922744 PMCID: PMC9362636 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-022-03709-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19, initially regarded as specific lung disease, exhibits an extremely broad spectrum of symptoms. Extrapulmonary manifestations of the disease also include important neuropsychiatric symptoms with atypical characteristics. Are these disturbances linked to stress accompanying every systemic infection, or are due to specific neurobiological changes associated with COVID-19? Evidence accumulated so far indicates that the pathophysiology of COVID-19 is characterized by systemic inflammation, hypoxia resulting from respiratory failure, and neuroinflammation (either due to viral neurotropism or in response to cytokine storm), all affecting the brain. It is reasonable to hypothesize that all these events may initiate or worsen psychiatric and cognitive disorders. Damage to the brain triggers a specific type of reactive response mounted by neuroglia cells, in particular by astrocytes which are the homeostatic cell par excellence. Astrocytes undergo complex morphological, biochemical, and functional remodeling aimed at mobilizing the regenerative potential of the central nervous system. If the brain is not directly damaged, resolution of systemic pathology usually results in restoration of the physiological homeostatic status of neuroglial cells. The completeness and dynamics of this process in pathological conditions remain largely unknown. In a subset of patients, glial cells could fail to recover after infection thus promoting the onset and progression of COVID-19-related neuropsychiatric diseases. There is evidence from post-mortem examinations of the brains of COVID-19 patients of alterations in both astrocytes and microglia. In conclusion, COVID-19 activates a huge reactive response of glial cells, that physiologically act as the main controller of the inflammatory, protective and regenerative events. However, in some patients the restoration of glial physiological state does not occur, thus compromising glial function and ultimately resulting in homeostatic failure underlying a set of specific neuropsychiatric symptoms related to COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Steardo
- Psychiatric Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Luca Steardo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Università Giustino Fortunato, Benevento, Italy
| | - Caterina Scuderi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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Pallanti S, Di Ponzio M. PANDAS/PANS in the COVID-19 Age: Autoimmunity and Epstein-Barr Virus Reactivation as Trigger Agents? Children (Basel) 2023; 10:648. [PMID: 37189896 PMCID: PMC10136983 DOI: 10.3390/children10040648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 impacted the entire world's population, frequently resulting in long-lasting neuropsychiatric complications. Furthermore, social distancing, lockdowns and fear for one's personal health worsen individual psychological wellbeing, especially in children and adolescents. Herein, we discuss the results of studies that specifically reported data about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or infection on children with Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Disorders (PANS). Furthermore, we present the cases of five adolescents with PANS whose symptomatology increased following SARS-CoV-2 infection. What emerged from this study was that COVID-19 resulted in the exacerbation of obsessions, tics, anxiety and mood symptoms and decreased wellbeing. Moreover, new symptoms, as well as new PANS cases, are reported to have arisen after COVID-19 infection. Here, we hypothesize that the pathogenic mechanisms of silent viruses, such as the Epstein-Barr virus, are related to neuroinflammation, immune responses and reactivation, with additional roles played by social-isolation-related inflammatory processes. The discussion of PANS, which represents a model of immune-mediated neuropsychiatric manifestations, is particularly relevant, with the aim of uncovering the mechanisms that lead to neuropsychiatric Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS). Prospects for future studies and treatment implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Pallanti
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, 50121 Florence, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Michele Di Ponzio
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Studies, Institute of Neurosciences, 50121 Florence, Italy
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Carmassi C, Tosato S, Bertelloni CA, Pedrinelli V, Cappelli A, Abbate-Daga G, Albert U, Castellini G, Luciano M, Menchetti M, Pompili M, Sampogna G, Signorelli MS, Massimetti G, Fiorillo A. PTSD trajectories across different mental disorders in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: a naturalistic, longitudinal, multicenter study. Int Rev Psychiatry 2022; 34:797-808. [PMID: 36546718 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2022.2145184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The potentially traumatic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in subjects with pre-existing mental disorders is still unclear, especially regarding its long-term consequences. The aim of this study was to prospectively assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in patients with mental disorders, during the 3rd wave of the infection (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 total sample of 527 subjects, with different DSM-5 diagnoses, was consecutively enrolled at nine Italian psychiatric outpatient services. Assessments at T0 included: the Trauma and Loss Spectrum-Self Report (TALS-SR), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS). These two latter were repeated at T1. Results showed that at T0, 43.6% of the sample reported symptoms of PTSD, with females (p = .004), younger subjects (p = .011), unemployed/students (p = .011), and living with their parental families (p = .017), resulting more affected. Differences in PTSD rates emerged across diagnostic groups ranging from 10% in patients with psychoses up to 59% in those with feeding and eating disorders. An improvement at T1 emerged in all diagnostic groups for the IES-R scores, while WSAS scores improved only in subjects with mood disorders. In conclusions, subjects with mental disorders presented relevant rates of PTSD and PTSS at 1-year into the pandemic. Further long-term studies are needed to follow-up the course of pandemic traumatic burden especially in patients with severe 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
| | - Andrea Cappelli
- 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
| | | | - 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 Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Gaia Sampogna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli," Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Salvina 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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