Journal of psychiatric research
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Public health studies warn of the vulnerability of people with mental disorders during the COVID-19 outbreak. Thus, the aims of this study were to (1) explore the presence of symptoms of anxiety, depression and acute stress among people with a mental disorder (MD); (2) evaluate the rate of COVID-19 infection between MD and non-MD, and (3) study the relationship between the emotional state of people with a mental disorder and some environmental variables. A cross-sectional study starting on March 29 to April 5, 2020 based on a national online survey using snowball sampling techniques was conducted. ⋯ The COVID-19 confirmed cases rate was higher in MD participants than in non-MD (3.5% vs. 0.4%; p < 0.001). Among the MD group, being a COVID-19 confirmed case, the lack in basic needs coverage, the rpesence of violence, drug use and the absence of physical excercise were associated with more severe depressive symptoms. Findings suggest that the COVID-19 has an impact on the emotional state of people with mental disorders.
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Dispositional gratitude may be linked to positive mental health outcomes, yet population-based data on this association are lacking. Military veterans are an ideal population in which to examine this question given high rates of psychiatric morbidities and efforts to promote psychological resilience in this population. Data were analyzed from a nationally representative sample of 3151 U. ⋯ Dispositional gratitude is prevalent in U. S. veterans, is negatively associated with psychiatric morbidities, and may help promote psychosocial factors linked to resilience in this population. Stratification of veterans with low, moderate, and high dispositional gratitude may help identify those who are at increased risk for psychiatric illness and in need of additional support.
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The efficacy of ketamine in reducing suicidal ideation (SI) has been previously reported. We aimed to evaluate acute anti-SI effects of single-dose ketamine in different formulations/routes of administration by pooling results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A systematic search was conducted on Cochrane, Embase, Medline, and PubMed from inception to July 1st, 2020. ⋯ No RCTs for intramuscular (IM) ketamine were identified. The findings suggest that single-dose IV ketamine/IN esketamine is associated with robust reductions in suicidal thoughts at 2-h, 4-h, and 24-h post-intervention. In addition, future studies on IM/oral/sublingual ketamine and comparative studies are warranted to evaluate the anti-SI efficacy of distinct formulations and routes of administration.
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Evidence suggests that the negative consequences of COVID-19 may extend far beyond its considerable death toll, having a significant impact on psychological well-being. Despite work highlighting the link between previous epidemics and elevated suicide rates, there is limited research on the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Utilizing an online survey, the current study aimed to better understand the presence, and extent, of the association between COVID-19-related experiences and past-month suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adults in the United States recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk (n = 907). ⋯ Exploratory analyses highlight a potential additional link between COVID-19 and suicidal behavior, suggesting that a portion of individuals may be intentionally exposing themselves to the virus with intent to kill themselves. These findings underscore the need for suicide risk screening and access to mental health services during the current pandemic. Particular attention should be paid to employing public health campaigns to disseminate information on such services to reduce the enormity of distress and emotional impairment associated with COVID-19 in the United States.