Experience of psychosis during the COVID-19 pandemic among hospitalized patients
Julia G. Lebovitz, Chris Ahnallen, T. M. Luhrmann
Psychosis January 6, 2022 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1080/17522439.2021.2009548 via OpenAlex
Summary
The content of auditory hallucinations and delusions often incorporated ideas about COVID-19, and for some people, paranoid ideation was shaped by the pandemic. Some individuals reported increased frequency and loudness of auditory hallucinations. However, not all participants experienced these changes. Increased social isolation, financial insecurity, and the socio-political climate also negatively impacted individuals with psychosis.
Study at a glance
| Design | qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 17 |
| Population | adult patients receiving acute inpatient psychiatric care in Boston |
| Key finding | COVID-19 influenced the content of psychosis for many, but the effect was not uniform. |
Abstract
Background The content of auditory hallucinations (AHs) and delusions is malleable and reflects the social environment and the local culture. COVID-19 is a significant new feature of the social environment, yet research has not yet determined how the phenomenology of psychosis has changed since the COVID-19 outbreak.Methods Adult patients (N = 17) receiving care within an acute inpatient psychiatric care setting in Boston were recruited to participate in an hour-long Zoom interview about their psychosis phenomenology and the potential impact of COVID-19.Results Thematic analysis of interview data found that for many, ideas about COVID-19 were present in the content of their AHs and shaped their paranoid ideation. Some felt that the frequency and loudness of the AHs had increased. However, not all participants spoke in ways that suggested the virus had affected their experience.Conclusions Results demonstrate that COVID-19 influenced the content of psychosis for many, but the effect of COVID-19 on psychosis was not uniform. The increased social isolation, financial insecurity, and socio-political climate of the period also seemed to negatively impact individuals with psychosis. Understanding how COVID-19 specifically has influenced psychosis helps to illustrate how societal and external factors may shape this experience.