COVID 19 pandemic and psychotic symptoms

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic causes substantial psychosocial stress on individuals and the community. Due to social isolation, neurotrophic potential of coronaviruses and the inflammatory processes, occurrence and relapse of psychotic symptoms may increase during the pandemic. Furthermore, pandemic has limited some protective factors for psychosis (i.e. social support, community mental health practices and physical activity). Additionally, admission of individuals suffering from psychotic symptoms may decrease due to risk of viral contamination. This may lead to under-detection of the problem, persistence of psychotic symptoms, poorer prognosis and more severe outcomes. Psychotic symptoms were reported among infected individuals during the recent coronavirus outbreaks (SARS CoV-1 and MERS CoV). Furthermore, mental problems were of the most substantial causes of long term disability associated with these outbreaks. In this paper, limited data on psychotic symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic will be reviewed. Furthermore, psychosocial stress during the pandemic and plausible associations between the coronaviruses and psychotic symptoms will be discussed in light of the previous research.