key: cord-0923211-aezrxysq
authors: Fierini, Fabio; Moretti, Davide; Ballerini, Andrea
title: Psychosis spectrum disorders during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: Warning signs of “stress incubation”
date: 2020-07-11
journal: Psychiatry Res
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113291
sha: c3044fbaca22c529ab635fa8e94f959e2b871933
doc_id: 923211
cord_uid: aezrxysq

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Dear Editor, Psychosocial stressors stemming from SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic may profoundly impact population mental health, with a predicted increase in incident cases of psychosis spectrum disorders (PSDs) whose careful management is of paramount importance (Brown et al., 2020) . This From a historical perspective, past and present catastrophic events like wars and epidemics teach us that huge psychological stressors have the potential to exert mental effects whose onset is often delayed by at least few months, if not more. In this scenario, a prompt detection of de novo psychotic experiences and relapses cannot disregard from priorities such as long-lasting sanitary surveillance and mass sensitization program, thus avoiding harmful underestimates of negative affective states (e.g. fear, anger, anxiety, depressed mood, etc.) and other putative factors involved in PSD pathogenesis.

All authors equally contributed to the final version of the manuscript.

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