Covidophobia: Psychiatric and addiction impacts in patients in the psychiatry department of Toamasina Madagascar University Hospital

Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic changes radically the modalities of care for almost worldwide hospitals, such as in the Psychiatry Department of the University Hospital of Analankininina Toamasina Madagascar. Phone exchanges reduced the transferal dimension of care approach, which is so important for patients treated in Psychiatric Department. The objective of this study is to describe the psychiatric and addictological impacts of the pandemic in patients in the Psychiatry Department Hospital of Toamasina Madagascar.
Methods: This is a single-center descriptive prospective study conducted in the Psychiatric Département of Analankinina Toamasina University Hospital, which is the only hospital reference for mental disorders in the eastern region of Madagascar. The population studied were made up of outpatients and those hospitalized from September 01st to October 31st, 2021, more specifically, after the first pandemic of Covid-19 infection and after the first Lock-down period. Were included patients having or not a Covid-19 infection and who presented psychological disorders, a depressive mood, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders or a delusional state, with or without psychiatric and addiction past. Were excluded patients whose authorizatipn was not obtained. Questionnaires translated into the local dialect were used.
Results: Thirty patient cases were included with Male-Female equitability. The average age was 42 years old. The study showed the predominance of psychiatric disorders in low-income patients (56.66%), who had mainly moderate forms of Covid-19 infection (66.67%). The majority of them (93.33%) presented significant psychological disorders according to the Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5) Scale. Depression mood was found in 26.67% of cases according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. A significant proportion of patients (90%) presented pathologic anxiety according to the same scale. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was observed in 46.66% of patients, according to the PTD Check List DSM5 (PCL-5) Scale. An increase of alcohol and cigarettes addiction and heroin withdrawal precisely due to financial problems have been noticed.
Conclusion: Despite health restrictions due to spread of Covid-19 infections, contact and touch should always be at the heart of medical practice because according to traditional Malagasy belief, touch is synonymous of healing.