Social connectedness and resilience post COVID-19 pandemic: Buffering against trauma, stress, and psychosis

Connection and recovery in the COVID-19 age: An analysis of changes in goal-setting throughout the pandemic by consumers living with enduring mental illness

Goal-setting is a tool that empowers consumer recovery. Though the pandemic has affected consumer goal-setting, the nature and extent of this impact have not been examined in a recovery setting. The aim of this study is to assess whether the recovery goals of individuals with serious mental illness changed in association with the COVID-19 pandemic. In this mixed-methods design, data were collected from a purposeful sample of consumers (nTOTAL  = 355) aged 19-67 years (MAGE  = 44.56, SD = 13.05) attending Recovery Camp, a 5-day therapeutic-recreation programme for individuals living with severe mental illness (e.g., PTSD, schizophrenia). Consumer-set goals were examined across 5 programmes prior to March 2020 (nPRE  = 126) and 11 following (nPOST  = 229). Goals were set on day one, with attainment self-scored on day five. Chi-squared goodness-of-fit tests compared goal proportions per domain; tests of independence assessed changes in goals pre- and post-pandemic. Six goal domains were identified: Approach-Based Recovery, Avoidance-based Recovery, Novel Physical Activities, Relationships, Health, and Recreation/Relaxation. Irrespective of the pandemic, goal attainment was consistently high across all programmes (86.56%). Approach-based Recovery goals were predominant pre-pandemic, but were significantly reduced post-pandemic (p = 0.040). Goals related to Relationships and Novel Physical Activities took precedence throughout the pandemic. Post-COVID-19, consumer recovery goals reveal increased desire for connection, novelty-seeking, and positive behavioural change.

Clinical characteristics of psychotic disorders in patients with childhood trauma

Childhood trauma is an important predictor of psychotic disorders, with special emphasis on physical and sexual abuse. It influences the clinical picture and course of psychotic disorders. This study was conducted in the Department of Psychiatry of the University Clinical Hospital Mostar. The sample consisted of 135 participants, aged 18 to 65 years. The screening instrument to examine cognitive status was the short version of MMSE-2. Patients' background information was collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire constructed for this study. To determine childhood trauma, the Child Abuse Experience Inventory was used to examine physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, neglect and domestic violence. The positive and negative syndrome scale scale was used to evaluate the clinical profile of psychoticism, the SSI questionnaire was used to evaluate the severity of suicidality, and the functionality of the participants was evaluated using the WHODAS 2.0. Results indicate that a significant number of participants with psychotic disorders experienced childhood trauma, an important determinant of their illness. Participants who had witnessed abuse had more severe clinical presentations (earlier onset and longer duration of illness) and more pronounced psychotic symptomatology and a lower degree of functionality. Decreased functionality is associated with witnessing abuse and physical abuse. During the civil war, a significant percentage of the participants were in childhood and adolescent development (26.7%) and exposed to frequent emotional abuse and domestic violence. As 1 traumatic event in childhood makes a person more susceptible to more traumatic experiences during life. Childhood trauma is a serious and pervasive problem that has a significant impact on the development, course, and severity of the clinical presentation of psychotic disorders. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide continuous education to mental health workers, primarily psychiatrists, regarding childhood trauma so that treatment may be approached more systematically and a plan of therapeutic interventions may be more adequately designed, which would necessarily include psychosocial support in addition to pharmacotherapy.