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Case report
New-onset psychosis due to COVID-19
  1. Nana Kozato1,
  2. Monisha Mishra2 and
  3. Mudasir Firdosi2,3
  1. 1South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust, Roehampton, UK
  2. 2South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust, London, UK
  3. 3St George's University of London, London, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Mudasir Firdosi; mudasirfirdosi{at}gmail.com

Abstract

This is a case report of a middle-aged man with no psychiatric history who presented with severe anxiety and psychotic symptoms from COVID-19. Following his discharge from intensive care unit, he was unable to sleep, was increasingly agitated and was observed hitting his head off the walls, causing haematomas. He remained highly anxious and developed paranoid delusions and auditory and tactile hallucinations, needing admission to a psychiatric ward. Treatment with antipsychotic medication gradually improved his symptoms in a few weeks. This case report highlights the new onset of psychosis due to COVID-19 infection. It demonstrates the importance of early identification and treatment of neuropsychiatric complications within an acute hospital setting. Furthermore, there is a need for research in this area to help in the prevention and treatment of such psychiatric complications due to COVID-19.

  • COVID-19
  • psychiatry (drugs and medicines)
  • psychiatry

This article is made freely available for use in accordance with BMJ’s website terms and conditions for the duration of the covid-19 pandemic or until otherwise determined by BMJ. You may use, download and print the article for any lawful, non-commercial purpose (including text and data mining) provided that all copyright notices and trade marks are retained.

https://bmj.com/coronavirus/usage

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2021-242538

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @DrMonishaMishra, @drmfirdosi

    • Contributors NK, MM and MF were responsible for the care and treatment of the patient. MF came up with the idea. NK consented the patient. NK and MM undertook the literature review and wrote the initial draft. MF edited the initial draft. All three authors reviewed and accepted the final draft.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.