@article{ref1,
title="Psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemic: consequences for psychiatric patients and therapeutic implications",
journal="Nervenarzt",
year="2021",
author="Bretz, Joachim and Moran, James Kenneth and Jalilzadeh Masah, Dario and Winkler, Johanna G. and Schouler-Ocak, Meryam and Goldschmidt, Thomas and Tsagkas, Ioannis",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: The outbreak of the COVID-19 disease and the rapid spread of the inducing coronavirus SARS-CoV‑2 threatens not only people's physical health but also  their mental health. Its influence on incidence and course of existing illnesses in  the psychiatric outpatient sector in Germany is still unknown. <br><br>METHODS: The medical  reports of 682 persons in psychiatric treatment were retrospectively investigated,  regarding their subjective response to this pandemic and its clinical relevance. <br><br>RESULTS: Of the patients 60.5% (n = 378) experienced greater psychological stress,  14.5% (n = 99) reported fear of the SARS-CoV‑2 and the possible danger of infection,  25.5% (n = 174) reported fear resulting from the protective measures taken (lock  down) and 4.3% (n = 29) reported fear of both. This differed significantly across  diagnoses: people with anxiety disorders reported significantly greater stress as  well as greater fear of the virus, whereas people with psychoses were significantly  less affected than the other patients. Of the participants 43.7% (n = 132) were so  strongly affected that acute treatment had to be implemented and 6.0% (n = 18) had  to be referred to inpatient care. <br><br>DISCUSSION: People with mental illnesses are  particularly vulnerable to the psychological strain of the COVID-19 pandemic. Long-term studies on the further course of disease will be necessary. Additional  studies that test interventions to build resilience in this population will also be  needed.<p /> <p>Language: de</p>",
language="de",
issn="0028-2804",
doi="10.1007/s00115-020-01056-y",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00115-020-01056-y"
}