A study of post COVID-19 psychiatric disorders in a tertiary care hospital of central India

Abstract

Background and Aim: COVID-19, one of the deadliest pandemics, has taken a toll on physical and mental health alike. It has been noticed that there is a rise in psychiatric comorbidities in COVID-19 recovered cases. Various disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders have been reported in COVID-19 survivors. The current study aims to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and their associated correlation in patients with a history of COVID-19. Materials and Methods: The study population comprised the patients referred to the psychiatry outpatient department (OPD) from the post-COVID-19 OPD over 3 months. Patients were assessed using a semi-structured pro forma, sociodemographic profile, treatment facility (institutional or home quarantined), duration of stay at the treatment facility, and medical and psychiatric diagnoses were recorded and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: One hundred and sixty patients were included and assessed of which 66.25% were male and 33.75% were female. The mean age was 38.8 years. The referral rate was found to be 15.9%. The most common psychiatric disorder was sleep disorder (25%), followed by Reaction to severe stress and adjustment disorder (16.25%), depression (11.25%), and anxiety disorder (10%). Conclusion: We would like to emphasize on vigilant approach and constant supervision of these patients so that an early diagnosis could be made and an add-on the burden to the mental health care system could be reduced. For this to be achieved screening of such patients should be increased.