Does lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic destabilize bipolar patients? A prospective study

Abstract

Objectives

Emergent literature reports that confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 can lead to severe psychological stress. However, a small but growing number of studies have consistently suggested that individuals exhibit significant coping capability facing the pandemic. The main objective of this study was to describe the effects of the pandemic, during and after the lockdown periods, on mood, anxiety and chronobiological rhythms in a cohort of bipolar patients.

Material and methods

We conducted a prospective and descriptive study on patients with a DSM‐5 diagnosis of bipolar I disorder or bipolar II disorder and evaluated the Perceived Stress Scale (a 10-item self-administered questionnaire) at two times: 1) during the period of the French first lockdown (N = 159 patients); and 2) from one week to six weeks after the lockdown period (N = 94 patients). Our primary objective was composite and focused on the mood levels and the perceived stress during these two periods.

Results

This study shows that the mood is stable, and perceived stress scores decrease between the lockdown and the post-lockdown periods. Moreover, regarding the patient's living space, we found a significant (positive) correlation between the number of rooms and the mood, as well as a significant influence on the mood by the number of residents living with the patient during the lockdown.

Conclusion

These results suggest that our cohort of bipolar patients could have good coping abilities under extraordinary stressful situations. In the future, it could be relevant to monitor the long-term potential impact of such stress.