A Study to Evaluate the Change in Symptom Severity of Individuals with Psychiatric Disorders & Relationship with Socio-Occupational Functioning and Perceived Covid-19 Stress

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DOI: 10.21522/TIJPH.2013.12.04.Art053

Authors : S. Gopinath, Priya Sivashankar, V. Madhumitha, Deepa Gopinath

Abstract:

We are aware of the severe service disruptions caused by the pandemic and the present global crisis. Lockdown has also been proven to increase stress, anxiety, and depression in the general population. People with pre-existing psychiatric problems are more likely than the average person to experience stress, anxiety, and sadness. This study's objective was to assess the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the severity of the illness and daily functioning of people with psychiatric disorders. The study's methodology involved a cross-sectional analysis of outpatients in the psychiatry department who had received treatment for a full year before and after March 2020. Both the COVID threat scale and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale were used. We observed that in individuals with psychiatric disorders', illness severity significantly deteriorated after March 2020 compared to the pre-covid time (P = 0.001).  Individuals’ ability to maintain a close relationship was strongly impacted by the work and social adjustment measure among individuals whose illness worsened (P = 0.008). We demonstrated that individuals with psychological disorders exhibited a significant worsening of symptoms and an impairment in their ability to maintain close relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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