COVID-19 Affected Mental Health of At-risk Groups of Psychiatric Patients: Two Case Reports.

Abstract

Presents case reports of two psychiatric patients who suddenly deteriorated and burned in a severe psychiatric condition due to the circumstances they faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which required urgent admission and intensive psychiatric treatment. In the first case report, pandemic and restrictive measures were the predisposing factors for suicide attempt of the patient who is the war veteran with diagnosed complex PTSD, while the precipitating factors for the suicide attempt were impaired physician-patient communication, fear of losing a job and existential issues. There is a need to raise awareness in society that rising unemployment is associated with an increased number of suicides, as well as responsible and balanced media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the second case report, our patient with bipolar disorder got into relapse of disease with psychotic symptoms during the pandemic of COVID-19 after changes the work structure and after she illegally visited her son who was self-isolated after returning to B&H from abroad, with no self-protected equipment. Overall, both case studies illustrate the psychological potential that the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has on at-risk groups of psychiatric patients. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)