The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on health behavior and psychopathology in patients with psychotic disorders

• Published in: Psychiatry research Vol. 317; p. 114845
• Main Authors: Yazıcı, Serkan, Ahi, Ezgi Sıla, İlhan, Rıfat Serav, Saka, Meram Can
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 01.11.2022
• Subjects: COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - psychology; Health Behavior; Humans; Medication adherence; Pandemic; Pandemics; Psychotic disorders; Psychotic Disorders - diagnosis; Psychotic Disorders - drug therapy; Psychotic Disorders - psychology; Suicidal Behavior; Telepsychiatry; COVID-19; Medication adherence; Telepsychiatry; Psychotic disorders; Pandemic; Health Behavior; Suicidal Behavior
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114845

•The pandemic period was associated with an increase in negative health behavior and clinical worsening in patients with psychotic disorders.•Medication adherence of the patients significantly decreased compared to the pre-pandemic period.•Patients with affective psychotic disorders were adversely affected by the pandemic, like patients with non-affective psychotic disorders.•Out of 211 patients who participated in the study by telephone interview, 200 (%94,8) were able to complete the study. In our study we aimed to investigate the effect of the pandemic period on disease severity, medication adherence, suicidal behavior, physical health and health behavior in patients with psychotic disorders. 255 patients with any of the diagnoses of Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Delusional Disorder, Bipolar Disorder with psychotic features and Major Depressive Disorder with psychotic features were included, 200 were assessed by telephone and 55 face-to-face. The patient's sociodemographic status, cigarette-alcohol use, physical diseases, body weight, suicidal behaviors, and the effects of the pandemic period on general health were assessed. Clinical global impression scale(CGI) and modified medication adherence scale(MMS) were also administered. We showed that the MMS scores of the patients significantly decreased compared to the pre-pandemic period. In our study, suicidal behavior and decrease in medication adherence during the pandemic period were found to be correlated with higher scores of CGI- Severity and Improvement Scale. Our study is one of the few studies that addresses the effects of the pandemic period on patients with psychotic disorders. The results show that the pandemic period is associated with an increase in negative health behavior and clinical worsening in patients with psychotic disorders. In order to confirm these findings, more research is needed in this area.