Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Care Delivery: A Narrative Review
Abstract
Background: Mental health care professionals across the globe should be prepared to contain the spread of COVID-19 among clients with mental illness and should adopt appropriate strategies to manage them effectively.
Objective: The objective of this review was to summarize the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health delivery.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was done to identify the effect of COVID-19 global pandemic in mental health delivery. Articles addressing mental health concerns of COVID-19 and its impact on preexisting mental illness and mental health care delivery, available free download in English language were included. A total of nine primary studies published from the onset of COVID-19 until 15th July 2020 were referred to prepare this narrative review.
Result: There is evidence that patients with preexisting mental illnesses shows increase in stress, anxiety, sleep disturbances and COVID-19 related delusions and hallucinations during this global pandemic. The proposed drug treatment for COVID-19 and the imposed restrictions on the public to prevent the spread of the disease had resulted in exacerbation of existing mental illness or triggered new mental illness.
Conclusion: There should be more research coming up to understand the real effect of COVID-19 on mental health care delivery and possible alternatives to global mental health delivery at the time of global pandemic.
How to cite this article:
Binil V, Divya KY. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Care Delivery: A Narrative Review. J Commun Dis 2021; 53(1): 89-95.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.202115
References
WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). 2020. Dashboard. Accessed from: https://covid19.who.int/?gclid=
CjwKCAjwi_b3BRAGEiwAemPNU7y7pqRR01lMIVVYR0QOWSeWfTmz_jjPPfJaGXEf77iXyt29iZ9y-
RoChKIQAvD_BwE.
United Nations. Policy brief: COVID-19 and the need for action on mental health. 2020. Available from: https://
unsdg.un.org/sites/default/files/2020-05/UN-Policy-Brief-COVID-19-and-mental-health.pdf.
Noori S. Mental Health after COVID-19. 2020. Availablefrom: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/
mental-health-after-covid-19/.
WHO Fact sheet. Mental disorders. 2019. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/
detail/mental-disorders.
Chevance A, Gourion D, Hoertel N et al. Ensuring mental health care during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in France: a narrative review. L’encephale, 2020.
Kozloff N, Mulsant BH, Stergiopoulos V et al. The COVID-19 global pandemic: implications for people
with schizophrenia and related disorders. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 2020.
Fonseca L, Diniz E, Mendonca G et al. Schizophrenia and COVID-19: risks and recommendations. Brazilian
Journal of Psychiatry 2020; 42(3): 236-238.
Fischer M, Coogan AN, Faltraco F et al. COVID-19 paranoia in a patient suffering from schizophrenic
psychosis–a case report. Psychiatry Research 2020; 288: 113001.
Stein MB. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Psychiatric illness. 2019. Available from: https://www.
uptodate.com/contents/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-psychiatric-illness.
Brown E, Gray R, Monaco SL et al. The potential impact of COVID-19 on psychosis: A rapid review
of contemporary epidemic and pandemic research. Schizophrenia Research, 2020.
Zandifar A, Badrfam R. COVID-19; considering the prevalence of schizophrenia in the coming decades.
Psychiatry Research 2020.
Hu W, Su L, Qiao J et al. COVID-19 outbreak increased risk of schizophrenia in aged adults. PsyChinaXiv, 2019.
Stefana A, Youngstrom EA, Chen J et al. The COVIDâ€19 pandemic is a crisis and opportunity for bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disord 2020; 22: 641-3.
Gunnell D, Appleby L, Arensman E et al. Suicide risk and prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. The
Lancet Psychiatry 2020; 7(6): 468-471.
Huang Y, Zhao N. Generalized anxiety disorder, depressive symptoms and sleep quality during COVID-19
outbreak in China: a web-based cross-sectional survey. Psychiatry Research 2020.
Banerjee DD. The other side of COVID-19: Impact on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and hoarding.
Psychiatry Research 2002; 288: 112966.
Volkow ND. Collision of the COVID-19 and addiction epidemics. Annals of Internal Medicine 2020.
Khadse PA. Substance use disorders during COVID-19 crisis in developed vs developing world. Annals of
Internal Medicine 2020.
Ornell F, Schuch JB, Sordi AO et al. “Pandemic fear†and COVID-19: mental health burden and strategies.
Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry 2020; 42(3): 232-235.
Ornell F, Moura HF, Scherer JN et al. The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on substance use: implications
for prevention and treatment. Psychiatry Research 2020; 13: 113096.
Fegert JM, Vitiello B, Plener PL et al. Challenges and burden of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic
for child and adolescent mental health: a narrative review to highlight clinical and research needs in the
acute phase and the long return to normality. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 2020; 14: 1.
Cortese S, Asherson P, Sonuga-Barke E et al. ADHD management during the COVID-19 pandemic: guidance
from the European ADHD Guidelines Group. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 2020.
Altable M. Child and adult autism spectrum disorder in COVID-19 pandemic. Qeios 2020.
Banerjee D. The impact of Covidâ€19 pandemic on elderly mental health. International Journal of Geriatric
Psychiatry 2020.
Li L. Challenges and priorities in responding to COVID-19 in inpatient psychiatry. Psychiatric Services 2020.
Xiang YT, Zhao YJ, Liu ZH et al. The COVID-19 outbreak and psychiatric hospitals in China: managing challenges through mental health service reform. International Journal of Biological Sciences 2020; 16(10): 1741.
Mitchell G, Ford M. Covid-19 crisis has exposed inequalities for mental health and learning disabilities.
Nursing times news, 2020. Available from: https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/coronavirus/covid-19-
crisis-has-exposed-inequalities-for-mental-health-andlearning-disabilities-03-07-2020/.
Papanikolaou K, Pehlivanidis A. COVID-19 Pandemic and social distancing in adult ADHD: It is a marathon race, not a sprint. Covid Perspect Res & Rev 2020; 01(01): 1-2.
Smile SC. Supporting children with autism spectrum disorder in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. CMAJ
; 192(21): E587.
Rout N. Risks to the elderly during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic 2019-2020. Journal of Geriatric
Care and Research 2020; 7(1): 27-28.
Shigemura J, Ursano RJ, Morganstein JC et al. Public responses to the novel 2019 coronavirus (2019â€nCoV)
in Japan: Mental health consequences and target populations. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
; 74(4): 281.
Rajkumar RP. COVID-19 and mental health: A review of the existing literature. Asian Journal of Psychiatry 2020.
Jessenia MG, Daniel HH, Adislen GH et al. Beyond the Respiratory System: A Case Report Highlighting the
Impact of COVID-19 in Mental Illness and Its Physical Consequences. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 2020;
(4): 20l13465.
Hao F, Tan W, Jiang L et al. Do psychiatric patientsexperience more psychiatric symptoms during
COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown? A case-control study with service and research implications for
immunopsychiatry. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 2020.
Schützwohl M, Mergel E. Social participation, inclusion and mental well-being following SARS-CoV-2 related
lockdown restrictions in adults with and without mental disorders. Results from a follow-up study in Germany.
Psychiatr Prax 2020; 47(6): 308-318.
Liu X, Lin H, Jiang H et al. Clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients with schizophrenia who were
suspected to have coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Hubei Province, China. General Psychiatry 2020; 33:
e100222.
Cranshaw T, Harikumar T. COVID-19 Infection May Cause Clozapine Intoxication: Case Report and Discussion.
Schizophrenia Bulletin, 2020.
Davide P, Andrea P, Martina O et al. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with OCD: effects of
contamination symptoms and remission state before the quarantine in a preliminary naturalistic study.
Psychiatry Research 2020.
Asmundson GJ, Paluszek MM, Landry CA et al. Do Pre-existing Anxiety-Related and Mood Disorders
Differentially Impact COVID-19 Stress Responses and Coping? Journal of Anxiety Disorders 2020.
Van Rheenen TE, Meyer D, Neill E et al. Mental health status of individuals with a mood-disorder during the
COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia: Initial Results from the COLLATE Project: COVID-19 and mood disorders.
Journal of Affective Disorders 2020.
Copyright (c) 2021 Journal of Communicable Diseases (E-ISSN: 2581-351X & P-ISSN: 0019-5138)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
