Physical Health Profile and Associated Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Patients With Bipolar Disorder

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased psychological strain on public mental health and may impact behavioral, mental, and physical health, presumably with effects on patients with severe mental disorders. This study examines pandemic-related physical and mental health and (compensatory) behavioral changes, in patients with BD as compared to healthy control individuals.Method: Physical and mental health and self-reported changes in daily structure and behavior due to the pandemic were assessed using a self-constructed questionnaire and the brief symptom inventory (BSI) in Germany, Austria, and Denmark in individuals with BD and a healthy control group.Results: The present study included 118 individuals with BD and 215 healthy controls. Individuals with BD reported statistically significant higher physical risk burden, increased weight gain, more physical comorbidities, and a decrease in physical activity and they further reported higher rates of COVID-19 testing, had more worries concerning health, and experienced more anxiety but less social distancing.Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have a greater impact on physical health in individuals with BD than in healthy controls. Individuals with BD appear to be having more difficulties compensating their behavior due to the pandemic which could amplify the effect of risk factors associated with poorer physical health. This highlights the necessity for optimizing and targeting the overall treatment of both mental and physical health in patients with BD during periods with far-reaching changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic.Limitations: Sampling issues and self-report forms, selectivity (missing elderly, and those lacking access or knowledge of technology).

Lifestyles and Quality of Life of People with Mental Illness During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…A recent study by Solè et al ( 2021 ), investigating the effects of COVID-19 pandemic effects, showed that people with severe mental illness reported weight gain and sleep disturbances during lockdown. A decrease in physical activity during the first wave of COVID-19 in people with bipolar disorder compared to healthy controls was also reported by Sperling et al, ( 2021 ).…”

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Lifestyles and Levels of Anxiety and Depression of Patients with Schizophrenia: A Retrospective Observational Study

“…In line with this data, the results of a recent study carried out during the pandemic in patients with mental disorders found a higher body mass index compared to the general population. Furthermore, participants with mental disorders more frequently reported weight gain > 5 kg during the pandemic [ 43 ]. In addition, some authors have observed that a high BMI is a risk factor for the development of critical conditions in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 [ 44 ], thereby representing an added risk in the population with schizophrenia.…”

Greater Emotional Distress Due to Social Distancing and Greater Symptom Severity during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Individuals with Bipolar Disorder: A Multicenter Study in Austria, Germany, and Denmark

“…This study was part of a large-scale study examining several other variables and overlapped with two other studies based on the baseline result [34,35]. These studies showed that the pandemic had a greater impact on the physical health of individuals with BD, in comparison to HC [35] and that emotional distress due to social distancing was related to more clinical symptoms (e.g., somatization, sleep quality) in individuals with BD than HC [34]. All questionnaires were administered in German (for Austria and Germany) or Danish.…”