[COVID-19 Crisis: Early Observations on a Pandemic's Psychiatric Problems]

Abstract

We have recently observed several clusters of psychiatric symptoms in the context of COVID-19: (1) increased anxiety in psychiatric in- and outpatients with different diagnoses; (2) more cases of domestic violence often associated with increased drug- or alcohol-consumption in offenders and victims; (3) a nihilistic "apocalyptic" syndrome of elderly patients cut-off from their families; (4) visual and acoustic hallucinoses due to pneumonia and sepsis-related confusional states. Cases of chloroquine-related toxicity have been reported elsewhere, but have not been observed in our hospital so far. Mental issues related to COVID-19 reported from China and practical recommendations are briefly summarized. Many patients with serious mental disorders will suffer world-wide due to a reallocation of medical, social and financial ressources.