Understanding the pandemic experience for people with a preexisting mental health disorder

Fallahi, Carolyn R.; Blau, Julia J.; Mitchell, Maria T.; Rodrigues, Hannah A.; Daigle, Carissa D.; Heinze, Aimee M.; LaChance, Andrew DeLeo Lori

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased rates of mental health disorders. Individuals with and without preexisting psychiatric disorders were surveyed about their experiences during the pandemic. Sexual minority status was also examined with respect to psychological and physical distress. Therapists with private practices recruited their clients to participate in the study;additional participants were recruited from a participant pool at a northeastern university. Participants (n = 183) completed questionnaires on SurveyMonkey that included demographic questions, stress-related questions as measured by the Impact of Events Scale-Revised, physical symptoms as measured by the Cohen and Haberman Inventory of Physical Symptoms, anxiety and depression as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-4, and coping as measured by the Brief COPE Inventory. A 2 (Sexual Minority Status) x 2 (Preexisting Diagnosis) multivariate analysis of variance revealed that those participants with a self-disclosed preexisting psychiatric disorder and those who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning showed more stress-related symptoms, anxiety and depression, physical complaints, and maladaptive coping behaviors. Those participants with a preexisting psychiatric condition were higher in anxiety, depression, physical symptoms, and maladaptive coping behavior. Those who identified as a sexual minority were higher in anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, physical symptoms, and maladaptive coping. There was also an interaction effect on depression, anxiety, and physical symptoms. Those who were both a sexual minority and had a preexisting psychiatric condition were highest in these variables. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)