Citation

Gillett G, Jordan I. BMJ Case Rep. 2020; 13(10): e239191.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bcr-2020-239191

PMID

33130587

Abstract

A previously fit and well 37-year-old male healthcare worker presented with confusion, psychotic symptoms and a suicide attempt in the context of a new COVID-19 diagnosis. Following surgical interventions and an extended admission to the intensive care unit, he made a good recovery in terms of both his physical and mental health. A number of factors likely contributed to his presentation, including SARS-CoV-2 infection, severe insomnia, worry, healthcare worker-related stress, and the unique social and psychological stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. This case highlights the need to further characterise the specific psychiatric sequelae of COVID-19 in community settings, and should remind general medical clinicians to be mindful of comorbid psychiatric symptoms when assessing patients with newly diagnosed COVID-19.

Language: en

Keywords

public health; delirium; infectious diseases; psychotic disorders (incl schizophrenia); suicide (psychiatry)