Psychosis due to anxiety related to COVID-19: A case report

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Limited information is available regarding various effects of lifestyle changes caused by coronavirus pandemic on human life. On the other hand, if the fear of getting infected by coronavirus is accompanied by other psychological crises, it can possibly lead to psychosis in people with or without a previous history of mental illness. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient is a 36-year-old man with no previous history of mental illness who divorced his wife 6 months before the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. The patient developed auditory hallucinations and paranoid thoughts after the outbreak. After diagnosis of psychosis, treatment with injectable haloperidol was started. He was then treated with risperidone for maintenance therapy. On the other hand, for depressive symptoms, the patient was treated with bupropion. One week after starting the treatment, the patient's paranoid thoughts and auditory hallucinations improved. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Getting infected with coronavirus or being severely afraid of it may cause symptoms of psychosis in those with a history of previous mental disease. There is also evidence that extreme fear of infection with coronavirus can lead to psychosis if accompanied by other psychological crises. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to pay more attention to the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety caused by COVID-19. Failure to immediately treat the anxiety caused by the fear of infection in this pandemic or other epidemics can lead to more serious problems such as psychosis and create further risks for the individual, family and community.