Depression during the COVID-19 pandemic (analysis of clinical cases)

Abstract

Currently, in various world regions, the prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders due to the impact of coronavirus infection is repeatedly increased compared to that in previous years. Among the predictors of their development during the pandemic, there are COVID-19 symptoms, a history of mental disorders, as well as restrictive measures, and financial losses.The paper describes three clinical cases of depressive disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the depiction of the anamnesis, somatic and mental status, the patholopsychogical qualification of the condition, and the justification of a therapy regimen. The multifactorial stressor effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has provoked an exacerbation of depression in a male patient with a history of affective disorder; the development of a nosogenic depressive reaction of demoralization in a female patient with coronavirus pneumonia; the worsening of somatization dysthymia in a female patient of involutional age. The timely recognition of depression and its treatment with currently available antidepressants have contributed to the achievement of high-quality remission, the increase of stress resistance, and the improvement of quality of life in the patients.

Keywords

• depression
• covid-19
• stress
• nosogenic reaction
• dysthymia
• antidepressants
• milnacipran