Experience of psychosis during the COVID-19 pandemic among hospitalized patients

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.

Discussion

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.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• psychosis
• hallucinations
• delusions
• hearing voices

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Sohenga Depestre for assistance with recruitment and providing perspective on our findings. We are grateful for the support of the entire 2-South Unit staff at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital with this project and helping to identify potential participants.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Stanford University [VPUG award].