Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on posttraumatic stress in patients with psychiatric illness

The present study aimed to examine the prevalence of posttraumatic stress response in reaction to the COVID-19, including posttraumatic-stress-disorder-like symptoms (PTSD-like symptoms) and depressive symptoms, among patients with pre-existing psychiatric illness. The socio-demographic and psychological correlates of PTSD-like symptoms were also examined. A total of 193 participants were recruited. More than 45% of the respondents reported significant PTSD-like symptoms related to the COVID-19; this group of patients also had a high level of pandemic-related depressive symptoms. High level of PTSD-like symptoms were predicted by rumination on concerns about the outbreak of COVID-19 and feeling of social isolation. They were also associated with hypervigilance to cues related to the pandemic. Our results suggested that the pandemic had taken a psychological toll on people living with psychiatric illness. Further research is needed to understand the development and mechanism of traumatic stress reaction in response to a prolonged infectious disease outbreak among this vulnerable population. Clinical attention is also called to mitigate the psychiatric sequalae of the pandemic in this vulnerable group of people.