Coronavirus and Its Implications for Psychiatry: A Rapid Review of the Early Literature, 2020, Cabrera et al

Background
The coronavirus pandemic has changed health care rapidly and dramatically.

Objective
To provide a critical synthesis of the scientific literature on the pandemic's implications for psychiatric practice.

Methods
A rapid literature review was undertaken to identify scientific literature linking psychiatric outcomes and practice changes due to coronavirus and the disease it causes (COVID-19). A structured quality assessment was used to assess those articles reporting quantitative data.

Results
Fifty articles were identified for inclusion, but only 12 contained original data. Eleven of those twelve were rated as of weak quality. The literature described psychiatric sequelae of the coronavirus and related public health interventions through cross-sectional surveys among different populations; no studies include diagnostic or functional impairment data. Populations at risk include COVID-19 survivors, health care workers, the elderly, and those with preexisting psychiatric disease. Impacts on psychiatric practice were described, again without data on changes to quality or access of care.

Conclusions
There is a quickly accumulating body of evidence on the psychiatric implications of coronavirus including psychological effects on the general public and at-risk subgroups. Similarly, psychiatric practice has witnessed substantial adaptation to the pandemic. However, there remain significant gaps in scientific knowledge. We suggest opportunities for consultation-liaison psychiatry to improve the understanding of the relationship between coronavirus and psychiatric care.

Paywall, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0033318220301584

 

Letter to editor: Long COVID and Its Psychiatric Aspects

Dear editor
We recently read with interest the article by Cabrera, Karamsetty, and Simpson entitled “Coronavirus and Its Implications for Psychiatry: A Rapid Review of the Early Literature”1. Although they provide a comprehensive review of psychiatric disorders associated with COVID-19, we would like to highlight a clinical condition that we are concerned about being overlooked by the recent literature. “Long COVID” can be defined as the continuation of symptoms much longer than usually expected or persistence of symptoms despite the recovery of the infection. Although fatigue is the most common symptom, symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, headache, diarrhea, stinging and burning sensations, palpitations can be seen. A common feature of the disease is its course with remissions and relapses2.

Open access, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266729602100063X