Mental disorders and Covid-19

Abstract

Background: According to a WHO survey, people with mental disorders are also more vulnerable to Covid-19 - they may stand a higher risk of severe outcomes and even death. Recent studies have shown that psychiatric patients with Covid-19 have a higher need for ventilators and hospitalization in the intensive care unit, as well as a significant increase in the risk of death. But there is no research has been conducted in our country on people with mental disorders who have Covid-19 disease. In our country, there is no large-scale study of psychiatric patients with Covid-19. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted using a hospital-based cross-sectional method and data were obtained from psychiatric patients with Covid-19 who were admitted to the Covid-19 treatment wards of the National center for mental health from April 22 to July 1, 2022 using 126 items questionnaire that classified in 4 sections. Moreover, we used electronic medical history database. The survey data were statistically processed using SSPS 21.0. Results: The study covered 39 (48.8%) men, 41 (51.3%) women aged 22-71 years, and a total of 80 psychiatric patients with Covid-19, and the average age were 44.5±12.5. According to the severity of Covid-19 disease, 26.3% (n=21) had no clinical sign, 43.8% (n=35) had mild, 28.8% (n=23) had moderate and 1.3% (n=1) had more severe clinical signs. In the study of adherence to the treatment regimen, patients with intellectual disabilities (F70) and schizophrenia (F20) did not have the ability to adhere to the treatment regimen. Although participants with alcoholism had severe form of Covid-19, 40.0% of patients with schizophrenia, 33.3% of patients with schizophrenic spectrum disorders, 36.4% of people with organic dementia, and 15.4% of people with intellectual disabilities had a mild form of Covid-19. Conclusions: Patients with mental retardation (F70) and schizophrenia (F20) were unable to follow the treatment regimen of Covid-19 on their own and people with alcoholism, schizophrenia, schizophrenic spectrum disorders, and organic dementia were likely to have severe forms of Covid-19 disease.