A Multi-Dimensional Psychiatric Perspective on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) arose in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and spread worldwide rapidly, and was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization as of March 2020. As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has spread worldwide, its impact is increasingly being recognized among vulnerable groups and also by the public in general. Recent findings indicate that patients with mental health disorders are among the groups most vulnerable to psychological stress and social hardships related to the current pandemic. Studies also indicate an increased risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2 in subjects with psychiatric disorders. Patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 may present to the psychiatrist with delirium, psychotic symptoms, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and insomnia. Some patients will develop persistent somatic symptoms such as fatigue after the acute infection. In this article, we summarize the preliminary findings related to the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on patients with mental health disorders, as well as recent research on psychiatric presentations in patients affected by SARS-CoV-2.