A recent study has reported that increased loneliness during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has likely spiked the risk of psychiatric disorders among individuals. Additionally, researchers had observed an increased rate of psychiatric symptoms during the pandemic. To test the same, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine recruited 4909 individuals aged 13 or above, residing in the United States. Participants were evaluated by the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), for suicidal ideation and nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior, and grief.
In this survey, the participants had a mean age of 40.3 years, where 80% were women or girls, and 82% were caucasian. Of respondents, 35% assumed to have been exposed to COVID-19, and 11% were tested positive. Nearly 91% reported complying with social distancing recommendations.
The results had revealed that around 58% showed symptoms of sleep difficulties, 55% exhibited grief, 34% reported PTSD, 32% depression, 31% anxiety, and suicidal ideation or behavior were reported in 18% participants. Scaled in terms of age, adults were adversely affected by more aspects of the pandemic. These findings imply that psychiatric symptoms may be rising among the weak populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To Know More, You May Refer To:
Murata, S., Rezeppa, T., Thoma, B., Marengo, L., Krancevich, K., Chiyka, E., Hayes, B., Goodfriend, E., Deal, M., Zhong, Y., Brummit, B., Coury, T., Riston, S., Brent, D. A., & Melhem, N. M. (2021). The psychiatric sequelae of the COVID-19 pandemic in adolescents, adults, and health care workers. Depression and anxiety, 38(2), 233–246. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.23120