Acute stress disorder with panic episodes induced by exposure to COVID-19 outbreak news in a child

Abstract

Presents a case report of a 10-year-old male fifth-grade elementary school student who was admitted to a clinic due to intense concerns related to Coronavirus during the past month. In his interview, the patient indicated that he was afraid of Coronavirus coming to Turkey, that he or his family would get sick, and that whenever Coronavirus was mentioned he would experience intense emotional distress, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, nausea, crying, and the need to speak with his mother or father when in distress, and that he would call his parents from school and would only feel better after speaking with his family. Since Coronavirus was not mentioned much at home, he would feel relatively better there;however, his distress increased especially at night and he would cry. The child looked appropriate for his age, his clothing was compatible with his socioeconomic level, and his self-care was adequate. He avoided eye contact from time to time, and he showed a timid attitude when communicating. The patient's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory state score was 61, the trait score was 68, and Children's Depression Inventory score was 21. The patient was diagnosed with Acute stress disorder with panic episodes according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), and was started on 20 mg/day fluoxetine. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)