Justė Teišerskytė1, Justė Straševičiūtė1, Viltė Urbonavičiūtė1, Karolina Laurinaitienė2
1Lithuanian University of Health Sciences
2Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Department of Psychiatry
Abstract: Bipolar affective disorder is an affective disorder characterized by changes in mood, thinking, behaviour and energy. The level of anxiety, stress, and psychological distress experienced by subjects with bipolar disorder during the pandemic was higher than in the control group. It has been observed that the number of suicidal thoughts among those suffering from this disorder has significantly increased, which is related to unexpected changes in the pace of everyday life. During a manic episode, risky behaviours can have serious consequences for a COVID-19 pandemic – lack of control over action, ideas of greatness, superpower and delusions hinder adherence to behavioural norms, therefore, patients may be more at risk and disregard for personal hygiene and social restraint. It is recommended to pay attention to the patient’s experiences during the quarantine period, to discuss and make sense of these experiences. Scientific literature suggests to pay more attention for psychoeducation and include the patient’s relatives in the treatment.
Research methods: Review of scientific literature. The scientific literature was searched using virtual databases of scientific literature. The analysis included the latest literature related to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, a case review and research reports analysing the links between bipolar disorder and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aim: To evaluate the association of depression and exacerbation of manic episodes with COVID-19 in patients with bipolar disorder.
Keywords: bipolar disorder, COVID-19, pandemic, depression, mania.