The Mind-Body Problem in the Context of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019

Objective: This study is to determine the possible pathophysiological parameters associated with the development of anxiety and impaired consciousness in patients with acute coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Methods: Descriptive pathophysiological and pathopsychological data was collected from 89 patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 across 7 infectious hospitals, where 14 trainees in psychiatry and neurology collected data from December 2020 to June 2021. Contingency tables and logistic regression analyses were made to reveal associations and to detect predictors of patients’ states of anxiety or impaired consciousness.

Results: Anxiety and impaired consciousness were observed in 28 patients (31.50%); 22 (25.00%) presented with anxiety symptoms, and 7 (7.90%) had impaired consciousness. The degree of their association was low (Fisher’s exact=0.675 (df=1), P=.495). Different pathophysiological mechanisms were shown to determine the development of anxiety or impaired consciousness within COVID-19. Predictors of anxiety were oxygen saturation (OR=1.26; 95% CI, 1.04-1.54; P=.021), cardiovascular disorders (OR=0.14; 95% CI, 0.04-0.52; P=.003), disorders of the nervous system (OR=0.05; 95% CI, 0.01-0.84; P=.038), and urogenital system (OR=0.13; 95% CI, 0.02-0.87; P=.035). The predictive power of the model was 80.23% (P ≤ .001). The development of impaired consciousness was associated with age (OR=1.11; 95% CI, 1.01-1.21; P=.025) and C-reactive protein level (OR=1.02; 95% CI, 0.99-1.04; P=.060), and the predictive power of the model was 94.52% (P ≤ .001).

Conclusion: The prevalence of psychopathological disorders associated with acute COVID-19 was high: n=28 (31.50%) for anxiety and impaired consciousness. Moreover, a 1.00% increase in the saturation index was associated with a 1.3-fold increase in the patient’s risk of developing anxiety. Thus, anxiety symptoms may be considered within a personality rather than an infectious-inflammatory response to COVID-19.

Cite this article as: Sorokin M, Markin K, Kibitov A, Palchikova E, Zubova E. The mind-body problem in the context of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with coronavirus disease 2019. Alpha Psychiatry. 2023;24(6):257-260.