Abstract
AimsTo assess the psychiatric presentations in patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 referred to a liaison psychiatry department during a one month period in the peak of the global pandemic.MethodA retrospective analysis of the patients referred to liaison psychiatry during January 2021 who also had a diagnosis of COVID-19. Confirmed cases of COVID-19 were defined as those confirmed by COVID-19 PCR in respiratory samples or clinically suspected cases from chest radiograph or CT. Severe COVID-19 was defined as those requiring supplementary oxygen due to saturations of 93% or less.ResultDuring January 2021, a total of 24 patients were referred to liaison psychiatry with concurrent COVID-19 infection. Out of these patients, 63% had a previous mental health diagnosis. The most common reason for referral was low mood (37.5%), followed by agitation (25%) and psychosis (25%). When considering first psychiatric presentations with concurrent COVID-19 infection, the most common presentation was psychosis (44%). The time course of psychosis was most frequently seen in the seven days prior to a positive swab. In one case a patient was sectioned under the Mental Health Act for psychosis two days prior to developing symptoms. Two of these patients were worked up for possible encephalitis including radiological imaging and lumbar puncture. For patients defined as having severe COVID-19, the most common referral was low mood. In those referred for low mood, 66% had a history of an affective disorder. In two cases low mood was complicated by an acute stress reaction to recent bereavement. For one patient this included the bereavement of two relatives to COVID-19. For patients admitted to intensive care and intubated for respiratory support the most common referrals were low mood and agitation. These factors we found a barrier to successful rehabilitation following periods of significant illness.ConclusionThe impact of COVID-19 on psychiatric presentations extends beyond the socio-economic factors precipitating crises across the nation. Our findings of acute psychiatric illness in the prodromal phase of the viral illness suggest a neuropsychiatric pathogenesis to COVID-19.
Highlights
There was some evidence that age-related changes in body composition, cardiovascular function, lung function and heel bone mineral density followed different trajectories in individuals with depression
Individuals with depression differed from healthy controls across a broad range of physiological measures
Differences in ageing trajectories differed by sex and were not uniform across physiological measures, with evidence of both age-related narrowing and widening of case-control differences
Summary
In individuals with lifetime depression and healthy controls, we examined associations between age and multiple physiological measures. Generalised additive models were used to examine associations between age and grip strength, cardiovascular function, body composition, lung function and bone mineral density. Analytical samples included up to 342,393 adults (mean age = 55.87 years; 52.61% females). We found statistically significant differences between individuals with depression and healthy controls for most physiological measures, with standardised mean differences between -0.145 and 0.156.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
