Post-COVID syndrome in psychiatric practice

Abstract

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is associated with a significant incidence of neuropsychiatric disorders, which tend to have a long course in the post-COVID period.
Objective: to study post-COVID mental disorders in clinical psychiatric practice.
Patients and methods. 30 patients aged 37.75±14.07 years with anamnesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection were examined. Clinical scale assessment was carried out using the Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Scale. The Symptom-Checklist (SCL-90-R) was used to assess the psychopathological status of the patient. Patients' cognitive functioning was assessed using the Mini-Cog Cognitive Assessment Questionnaire. Patients' sleep quality was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
Results and discussion. Mental disorders associated with a previous coronavirus infection are observed in a wide time range from less than 1 month to a year after the previous disease, and in no case did the coronavirus infection have a severe course. Sleep disorders, anxiety and depressive disorders, which did not exceed a moderate degree of severity, and asthenia dominated in the structure of the post-COVID syndrome. The level of mental distress in patients with post-COVID syndrome increased 2 times. Post-COVID mental disorders are interrelated with female gender, age, and psychotraumatic factors associated with the pandemic. Cognitive impairment mediated by mental disorders was observed in approximately 60% of patients and did not reach the degree of dementia.
Conclusion. The clinical picture of the post-COVID syndrome is represented by a wide range of mental disorders, the development of which involves not only biological, but also psychosocial factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, which determines the specifics of diagnostic approaches and the feasibility of complex treatment of the post-COVID syndrome.