Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to affect people who have had previous experiences of psychosis – either positively or negatively. A research gap exists in looking at qualitative experiences of the pandemic. In the present study, we address the research gap in those who self-identified as having psychosis via Reddit discussion forum posts, collecting data from a popular online community. Sixty-five posts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Five overarching themes were identifie; declining mental health, changed psychosis experiences, personal coping experiences, social connectedness and disconnectedness, and COVID-19 as a metaphor. The data show that there are varied experiences associated with the pandemic. People who have experiences of psychosis do not only have vulnerabilities but may also perceive themselves as having strengths that allow them to cope better.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to pose significant additional psychosocial stressors to individuals with severe mental health difficulties (Brooks et al, 2020; Druss, 2020), including psychosis (Zhand & Joober, 2021)
We identified five themes: (i) declining mental health, (ii) changed psychosis experiences, (iii) Personal positive and negative coping experiences, (iv) social connectedness and disconnectedness, and (v) COVID-19 as a metaphor
Online communities have become a crucial source of social support during the pandemic (e.g., Brewer et al, 2021), and our results demonstrate that online discussion forums are useful outlet for those who have psychosis
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to pose significant additional psychosocial stressors to individuals with severe mental health difficulties (Brooks et al, 2020; Druss, 2020), including psychosis (Zhand & Joober, 2021). This could lead to exacerbation of the symptoms of psychosis for some, increasing mental distress (Hamada & Fan, 2020; Kozloff et al, 2020). The social distancing measures could drastically worsen mental wellbeing, putting people at an increased risk of suicide (Kozloff et al, 2020). Few studies have reported the experiences of people with psychosis at the beginning of the first pandemic lockdown in Spring 2020
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