key: cord-0771869-8qpt9kk0
authors: Frank, Andreas; Fatke, Bastian; Frank, Wolfgang; Förstl, Hans; Hölzle, Patricia
title: Depression, Dependence and Prices of the COVID-19-Crisis
date: 2020-04-29
journal: Brain Behav Immun
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.068
sha: ca4aadb321d9ff2bb82378c07624e3c97411beda
doc_id: 771869
cord_uid: 8qpt9kk0

nan

face consultations. This situation is particularly difficult for individuals with serious mental disorders (Fatke et al., 2020; Shao et al., 2020) . Therefore we carried out a cross-sectional evaluation on a convenience sample of patients who were treated in our departments during the second and third week of April 2020. A short standardized interview was employed for patient examination which included the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Scale.

Diagnoses were made according to the ICD-10. 196 (of 207) patients (54% female) were able and willing to participate. Their mean age was 47 years, ranging from 18 to 85 (SD 15.8 yrs.).

None of the patients had contracted COVID-19; one had been quarantined for a few days until an infection could be ruled out. Main psychiatric diagnoses were affective disorders in 121 patients (ICD-10 F3), schizophrenia and related disorders in 41 (F2), addictive disorders in 21, and others in 13. The CGI-scores were evenly distributed between the groups with a mean of 4.6 (SD 1.7) and so were most symptoms described. More than half of the patients from all groups felt that they now had to endure much more mental distress due to the pandemic. A quarter of the patients with affective disorders reported increased difficulties sleeping. What stood out in comparison with the other diagnoses was, that half or more of the patients with addictions complained that their daily routines were badly affected, they were afraid of the future, had financial worries, suffered from isolation (also on open wards) and experienced increased irritability (Pearson Chi-square < 0.01). Among the explanations offered spontaneously by the patients was that the crisis had sent prices of illegal substances sky high. The pandemic appears to burden patients with mental disorders from all diagnostic groups, disrupting their daily routines, cutting their social ties, increasing their financial worries and fears of the future. The early impact of dynamic markets not usually monitored by medical personnel was a surprise to us and may need increased attention in times of crisis.

COVID-10 crisis: early observations on a pandemic's psychiatric problems

Psychiatry hospital management facing COVID-19: from medical staff to patients

Knowledge and attitudes of medical