Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been classified as a pandemic, and mental hospitals located in epidemic centers have been affected. Social isolation is an important and irreplaceable measure to control the spread of the epidemic. In this study, schizophrenic patients who were subjected to social isolation after close contact with COVID-19 patients were used as participants to explore the impact of social isolation on common inflammatory indicators and psychological characteristics. A total of 30 patients with schizophrenia were recruited from Wuhan Mental Health Center. In addition, 30 ordinary schizophrenic patients were matched with the isolation group and were recruited from another branch of Wuhan Mental Health Center as controls. We compared the differences in common inflammatory indicators and psychological characteristics between the isolated group and the control group, and longitudinal comparison of the differences in the above indicators before and after isolation among the isolation group. The Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) score, Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) score and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score of the isolation group were significantly higher than those of the control group (p = 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, respectively). The C-reactive protein (CRP) level, CPSS score, HAMA score and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) score of the isolation group were significantly higher after isolation (p = 0.01, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, respectively). Inpatients of schizophrenia suffered from social isolation due to COVID-19 have a severe psychological burden. Social isolation caused patients to develop a weak inflammatory state and led to worse anxiety and sleep quality.
Highlights
1234567890():,; 1234567890():,; 1234567890():,; 1234567890():,; Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)[1], and this disease has been classified as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO)
The assessment of control group was performed by one psychiatrist, and the assessment of the isolation group was completed by a deputy chief psychiatrist and a psychiatrist
To the best of our knowledge, this was the first study to explore the impact of social isolation caused by COVID19 on the psychological status of inpatients with schizophrenia
Summary
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)[1], and this disease has been classified as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). As early as 1988, House and his colleagues published a landmark prospective epidemiological review of social isolation on human health[5]. Social isolation is a powerful source of stress both for animals and humans[6,7]. Researchers have suggested that social isolation-induced stress in rats exhibits similar signs and symptoms as human mental illnesses (such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia)[8,9]. A systematic review found relatively consistent evidence that social isolation was associated with the deterioration of mental health[10]. Two other systematic reviews found that there is an association between social networks and depression, such that having rich, large, and high-quality social relationships is beneficial for preventing depression[11,12]. In line with the findings from those studies, two reports targeting special populations, such as adolescents[13] and pregnant women[14], indicated that social isolation had a negative impact on the psychological health outcomes of study participants
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