Increased symptom severity in adults and adolescents admitting to an inpatient psychiatric hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic

Ramirez, Danna; Rufino, Katrina A.; Rech, Megan; Poa, Edward; Patriquin, Michelle A.

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114758

Cited by 8 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…Our measures were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a global public health event. Previous studies have demonstrated that the epidemiological burden [ 33 – 35 ] and severity [ 36 ] of post-COVID-19 depressive symptoms obviously exceed the pre-pandemic ones. Negative life events [ 37 ] and alexithymia [ 38 ] are also impacted by the pandemic of COVID-19.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The association among negative life events, alexithymia, and depressive symptoms in a psychosomatic outpatient sample

Xie,

Ma,

Duan

et al. 2024

BMC Psychiatry

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Background Depression is a life-threatening mental health problem. Various factors have been demonstrated to be associated with depressive symptoms, including negative life events (NLEs) and alexithymia. A retrospective study was conducted to investigate the relationship among negative life events, alexithymia, and depression symptoms in a psychosomatic outpatient sample in China. Methods A total of 2747 outpatients (aged 18 – 65) were included in this investigation. The Life Events Scale (LES), Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS-26), and 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were used to assess NLEs, alexithymia, and depressive symptoms, respectively. A stepwise regression analysis model was established to investigate the relationship among alexithymia, NLEs, and depressive symptoms. Results Overall, 67.0% of the patient sample had a PHQ-9 score of 10 or higher. The stepwise regression analysis model showed a well-fitted model, in which NLEs and alexithymia explain a total of 34.2% of the variance of depressive symptoms in these participants. NLEs (β = 0.256, p < 0.001) and dimensions of alexithymia (difficult describing feelings (β = 0.192, p < 0.001) and identifying feelings (β = 0.308, p < 0.001)) were positively correlated with symptoms of depression. Conclusions Previous studies have confirmed the correlation between NLEs and depression, alexithymia and depression, respectively. In our study, we used a stepwise regression model to explain the relationship among those variables simultaneously, and found that NLEs and alexithymia could function as predictors of depressive symptoms. Based on this discovery, alexithymia-focused treatment strategies could be alternative in depressive patients with alexithymia, but this remains to be verified in the future.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The association among negative life events, alexithymia, and depressive symptoms in a psychosomatic outpatient sample

Xie,

Ma,

Duan

et al. 2024

BMC Psychiatry

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“…Finally, it should be noted that the entirety of data collection took place following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, which may limit the generalizability of findings. Investigation of adolescent inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations have revealed that depression is more severe for individuals hospitalized after the onset of the pandemic in comparison to pre-pandemic hospitalizations, potentially as a result of social distancing restrictions such as school closures and limited social interaction (Ramirez et al, 2022 ). As such, the present sample may display more severe depression and a higher base rate of depressive diagnoses than other inpatient samples.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Brief Adolescent Depression Screen: A Brief Screening Tool for Depression and Suicidal Behavior in Inpatient Adolescents

Vaughan

Kemp

Robertson

et al. 2023

Child Youth Care Forum

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Background In clinical settings, there is significant need for brief, easily-administered assessment tools for adolescent depression that can be used by mental health clinicians from a variety of training backgrounds. Existing depression screening tools do not assess for duration and consistency of symptoms, two key indicators of pathological depression. Objective The Brief Adolescent Depression Screen (BADS) was developed to screen for major and persistent depressive disorders in adolescents in order to meet the assessment needs in an inpatient setting, and the validity of this tool was tested. Method The current study used a sample of 396 inpatient adolescents to assess the screening utility of the BADS for detecting whether the adolescent meets criteria for a depressive diagnosis according to a well-validated semi-structured interview, as well as detecting a positive history of suicidal behavior. Further, the screening utility of this measure was compared to the utility of an established depression rating scale. Results Analyses first determined the duration of depressive symptoms on the BADS that optimally screened for the presence of Major Depressive Disorder and Persistent Depressive Disorder. Findings indicated that, using these optimal screening cut-offs, the BADS showed a strong screening utility, resulting in a sensitivity and specificity for identifying full depressive diagnoses and a positive history of suicidal behavior with similar or greater accuracy than an established rating scale. Conclusions These findings provide initial evidence to suggest that the BADS may be a helpful screening tool for adolescent depressive disorders in inpatient settings.

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Before and During the First COVID-19 Surge: Work Conditions, Burnout, and Mental Health Among Resident Physicians in a Department of Psychiatry in the USA

Agrawal,

De La Torre,

Cooper

et al. 2023

Acad Psychiatry

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Objective Resident physicians are critical frontline workers during pandemics, and little is known about their health. The study examined occupational and mental health risks among US psychiatry residents before and during the first COVID-19 surge. Methods Longitudinal data were collected from a cohort of US psychiatry residents at one academic medical center in October 2019, before the pandemic, and April 2020 after the initiation of a state-level stay-at-home order. Primary outcome measures were psychological work empowerment, defined as one’s self-efficacy towards their work role, and occupational burnout. A secondary outcome was mental health. In May and June 2020, resident engagement sessions were conducted to disseminate study findings and consider their implications. Results Fifty-seven out of 59 eligible residents participated in the study (97%). Half the study sample reported high burnout. From before to during the first COVID-19 surge, psychological work empowerment increased in the total sample (p = 0.03); and mental health worsened among junior residents (p = 0.004), not senior residents (p = 0.12). High emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were associated with worse mental health (p < 0.001). In engagement sessions, themes related to residents’ work conditions, COVID-19, and racism emerged as potential explanations for survey findings. Conclusions The study is exploratory and novel. During early COVID, psychiatry residents’ well-being was impacted by occupational and societal factors. Postpandemic, there is a growing psychiatrist shortage and high demand for mental health services. The findings highlight the potential importance of physician wellness interventions focused on early career psychiatrists who were first responders during COVID.

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Increased symptom severity in adults and adolescents admitting to an inpatient psychiatric hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 8 publications

References 68 publications

The association among negative life events, alexithymia, and depressive symptoms in a psychosomatic outpatient sample

The association among negative life events, alexithymia, and depressive symptoms in a psychosomatic outpatient sample

The Brief Adolescent Depression Screen: A Brief Screening Tool for Depression and Suicidal Behavior in Inpatient Adolescents

Before and During the First COVID-19 Surge: Work Conditions, Burnout, and Mental Health Among Resident Physicians in a Department of Psychiatry in the USA

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