Medically unexplained symptoms in the times of COVID-19 pandemic: A case-report
| Autor: | Leonardo Zoccante, Riccardo Bortoletto, Marco Colizzi, Chiara Cainelli, Rossella Gaudino, Marta Silvestri, Elena Puttini, Federica Mondini, Mirella Ruggeri |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
2019-nCoV
Anxiety Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Coronavirus Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms Somatic Symptom Disorder medicine.medical_specialty Exacerbation Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry Dysfunctional family Disease Somatic symptom disorder medicine Child and adolescent psychiatry Medical history Intensive care medicine General Environmental Science business.industry medicine.disease Mental health General Earth and Planetary Sciences medicine.symptom business RC321-571 |
| Zdroj: | Brain, Behavior, & Immunity-Health Brain, Behavior, & Immunity-Health, Vol 5, Iss, Pp 100073-(2020) |
| ISSN: | 2666-3546 |
| Popis: | In early 2020, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) leading to a potentially fatal condition was discovered. Since then, the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread worldwide becoming a pandemic. Beyond the risks strictly related to the infection, concerns have been expressed for the psychological impact that COVID-19 may have, especially on vulnerable individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions. Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is characterized by a dysfunctional preoccupation with physical symptoms leading to excessive and unnecessary healthcare utilization. Despite being quite common, such condition remains underrecognized. We report a detailed clinical case of a 16 years old adolescent, who presented with a history suggestive of COVID-19 infection and associated psychological distress. Despite testing negative for the presence of SARS-CoV-2, his extreme and persisting health preoccupations required an inpatient admission to the Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatric Unit. He responded rapidly to a low dose of antipsychotic and an antidepressant. Based on his medical history and current presentation, he received a diagnosis of SSD. When COVID-19-like symptoms occur, we highlight the importance of differentially diagnosing a possible exacerbation of a pre-existing SSD, triggered by fear of being infected. This may help preventing further burden to the healthcare system. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|