The respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has undergone genetic evolution and led to variants of concern that vary in transmissibility and clinical severity.

This retrospective cohort analysis studied 232,364 hospitalized COVID-19-positive patients in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative [April 27, 2020 and June 25, 2022]. The primary outcomes were to compare demographics and need for mechanical ventilation and 30-day mortality across variants including Alpha (B.1.1.7), Delta (B.1.617.2), and Omicron (B.1.1.529).

The severity of SARS-CoV-2 decreased in the omicron-subsequent wave with decreased utilization of mechanical ventilation and decreased 30-day mortality among patients with comorbidities like diabetes mellitus, obesity, and liver disease. Although with each subsequent wave, the sex distribution remained equal and constant, there was an increase in rates of diabetes, liver disease, and respiratory disease amongst patients hospitalized with COVID-19 over the COVID waves despite the decreasing 30-day mortality and mechanical ventilation.

Despite changes in demographics over time, more recent COVID waves were associated with decreasing severity and mortality. These observations will help guide specific and effective resource allocation and patient care.

People with schizophrenia-spectrum and bipolar disorders (severe mental illnesses; ‘SMI’) experience excess mortality. Our aim was to explore longer-term trends in mortality, including the COVID-19 pandemic period, with a focus on additional vulnerabilities (psychiatric comorbidities and race/ ethnicity) in SMI.

Retrospective cohort study using electronic health records from secondary mental healthcare, covering a UK region of 1.3 million people. Mortality trends spanning fourteen years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, were assessed in adults with clinician-ascribed ICD-10 diagnoses for schizophrenia-spectrum and bipolar disorders.

The sample comprised 22 361 people with SMI with median follow-up of 10.6 years. Standardized mortality ratios were more than double the population average pre-pandemic, increasing further during the pandemic, particularly in those with SMI and psychiatric comorbidities. Mortality risk increased steadily among people with SMI and comorbid depression, dementia, substance use disorders and anxiety over 13-years, increasing further during the pandemic. COVID-19 mortality was elevated in people with SMI and comorbid depression (sub-Hazard Ratio: 1.48 [95% CI 1.03–2.13]), dementia (sHR:1.96, 1.26–3.04) and learning disabilities (sHR:2.30, 1.30–4.06), compared to people with only SMI. COVID-19 mortality risk was similar for minority ethnic groups and White British people with SMI. Elevated all-cause mortality was evident in Black Caribbean (adjusted Rate Ratio: 1.40, 1.11–1.77) and Black African people with SMI (aRR: 1.59, 1.07–2.37) during the pandemic relative to earlier years.

Mortality has increased over time in people with SMI. The pandemic exacerbated pre-existing trends. Actionable solutions are needed which address wider social determinants and address disease silos.

Somatoform disorders, previously diagnosed according to DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10, are shifting towards somatic symptom disorder in DSM-V and bodily distress disorder in ICD-11.

Before using the current criteria, because the new diagnostic entities can identify a larger pool of patients with various physical complaints and diagnoses, it is essential to consider the physical and psychiatric comorbidities that have an important role in deciding the pharmacological treatment.

We conducted a retrospective observational study on a group of 169 patients previously diagnosed with a type of somatoform disorder and hospitalized between January 2015 - January 2021 in a psychiatric emergency hospital in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Male:female ratio was 1:1.41. The mean age was 52.35±13.3 years, the mean period of hospitalization was 12±5.39 days. 54% of patients lived in urban areas, and almost half of them were married. Most patients were not professionally active and did not receive a superior education. Most patients had one hospitalization and had at least one physical and one psychiatric comorbidity. The most frequent somatic comorbidities were: cardiovascular, metabolic, rheumatological, gastrointestinal, endocrinological, and neurological, and the most frequent psychiatric ones were: depressive, personality, anxiety, neurocognitive, and substance use disorders. The most frequent type of somatoform disorders were: undifferentiated somatoform disorder and somatization disorder. Regarding psychiatric treatment, antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants, and hypnotics were used. No correlations were observed between the presence of depressive or anxiety disorders and somatic comorbidities.

ICD and DSM need to clarify diagnostic criteria and develop therapeutical guidelines for this type of patient.

No significant relationships.

Anxiety disorders are very common and burdensome mental illnesses worldwide, characterized by exagerated feelings of worry and fear. These disorders are highly comorbid with other conditions.

The aim of our study is to explore the physical and psychiatric comorbidities and their clinical correlates. The second objective is to identify the predictors of recurrence of anxiety disorders.

Our study concerned 436 outpatients who met DSM-V diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders and were followed in the Department of Psychiatry of Monastir (Tunisia) between 1998 and 2017. Selective mutism and seperation anxiety were excluded for lack of cases.

Our results demonstrated that Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) was significantly associated with cardiovascular comorbidity (OR=3.208). Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) was significantly correlated to avoidant personality disorder (OR=17). Patients with suicide attempts are more likely to have a comorbid personality disorder (OR=11.606). Being married and having a later age of onset are predictors of having comorbid depressive disorder. Furthermore, being married, having an anxiety-anxiety comorbidity and a longer duration of untreated illness (DUI) are predictors of recurrence.

Our study highlights the fact that comorbidities (physical and psychopathological) call for a closer follow up due to the higher risk of recurrence, the higher risk of suicide attempts and the poorer treatment response.

No significant relationships.