• Psychiatry research · Jan 2021

    Observational Study

    Psychological distress in the face of a pandemic: An observational study characterizing the impact of COVID-19 on immigrant outpatient mental health.

    • Randal A Serafini, Samuel K Powell, Justin J Frere, Alexandra Saali, Hannah L Krystal, Vedika Kumar, Chittampalli Yashaswini, Josimar Hernandez, Kate Moody, Anne Aronson, Yasmin Meah, and Craig L Katz.
    • East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 17 E 102(nd) St, New York, NY, 10029; Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place Box #1002, New York, NY, 10029; Nash Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place Box #1022, New York, NY, 10029. Electronic address: alex.serafini@icahn.mssm.edu.
    • Psychiatry Res. 2021 Jan 1; 295: 113595.

    AbstractUndocumented immigrants have disproportionately suffered during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic due to factors including limited medical access and financial insecurity, which can exacerbate pandemic-associated distress. Psychological outcomes for immigrant outpatients were assessed after transition to telepsychiatry in March 2020. Mental health was assessed with Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2) inventories, a novel coronavirus-specific survey, and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10+). Feedback on telepsychiatry sessions and access to non-clinical resources were also gathered, after which multivariable linear regression modeling identified psychosocial factors underlying changes in distress levels. 48.57% and 45.71% of participants reported worsened anxiety and depression levels due to the pandemic, respectively. From March to April, PHQ-2 and GAD-2 scores significantly increased by 0.81 and 0.63 points, respectively. The average total psychological distress score was 23.8, with 60% of scores reflecting serious mental illness. Factors that most influenced K10+ scores included a pre-existing depressive disorder, food insecurity, and comfort during telepsychiatry visits. 93.75% of participants believed access to remote psychiatry helped their mental health during COVID-19. The negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health in vulnerable populations stems from medical and psychosocial factors such as pre-existing psychiatric conditions and unmet essential needs.Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.

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