Associations between psychiatric disorders, COVID-19 testing probability and COVID-19 testing results: findings from a population-based study

Dennis van der Meer; Justo Pinzon-Espinosa; Bochao D. Lin; Joeri K. Tijdink; Christiaan H. Vinkers; Sinan Guloksuz; Jurjen J. Luykx

doi:10.1192/bjo.2020.75

Associations between psychiatric disorders, COVID-19 testing probability and COVID-19 testing results: findings from a population-based study

Dennis van der Meer, Justo Pinzon-Espinosa^*, Bochao D. Lin, Joeri K. Tijdink, Christiaan H. Vinkers, Sinan Guloksuz, Jurjen J. Luykx

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Background

Many psychiatrists are worried their patients, at increased risk for COVID-19 complications, are precluded from receiving appropriate testing. There is a lack of epidemiological data on the associations between psychiatric disorders and COVID-19 testing rates and testing outcomes.

Aims

To compare COVID-19 testing probability and results among individuals with psychiatric disorders with those without such diagnoses, and to examine the associations between testing probability and results and psychiatric diagnoses.

Method

This is a population-based study to perform association analyses of psychiatric disorder diagnoses with COVID-19 testing probability and such test results, by using two-sided Fisher exact tests and logistic regression. The population were UK Biobank participants who had undergone COVID-19 testing. The main outcomes were COVID-19 testing probability and COVID-19 test results.

Results

Individuals with psychiatric disorders were overrepresented among the 1474 UK Biobank participants with test data: 23% of the COVID-19 test sample had a psychiatric diagnosis compared with 10% in the full cohort (P<0.0001). This overrepresentation persisted for each of the specific psychiatric disorders tested. Furthermore, individuals with a psychiatric disorder (P= 0.01), particularly substance use disorder (P<0.005), had negative test results significantly more often than individuals without psychiatric disorders. Sensitivity analyses confirmed our results.

Conclusions

In contrast with our hypotheses, UK Biobank participants with psychiatric disorders have been tested for COVID-19 more frequently than individuals without a psychiatric history. Among those tested, test outcomes were more frequently negative for registry participants with psychiatric disorders than in others, countering arguments that people with psychiatric disorders are particularly prone to contract the virus.

Original language	English
Article number	87
Number of pages	7
Journal	Bjpsych open
Volume	6
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2020.75
Publication status	Published - Sept 2020

Keywords

Epidemiology
service users
stigma and discrimination
outcome studies
COVID-19
SERIOUS MENTAL-ILLNESS
UK BIOBANK
HEALTH-CARE
PEOPLE

Access to Document

10.1192/bjo.2020.75Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

@article{f24f0ef79f0b4a218c25c1ccec336ea0,

title = "Associations between psychiatric disorders, COVID-19 testing probability and COVID-19 testing results: findings from a population-based study",

abstract = "BackgroundMany psychiatrists are worried their patients, at increased risk for COVID-19 complications, are precluded from receiving appropriate testing. There is a lack of epidemiological data on the associations between psychiatric disorders and COVID-19 testing rates and testing outcomes.AimsTo compare COVID-19 testing probability and results among individuals with psychiatric disorders with those without such diagnoses, and to examine the associations between testing probability and results and psychiatric diagnoses.MethodThis is a population-based study to perform association analyses of psychiatric disorder diagnoses with COVID-19 testing probability and such test results, by using two-sided Fisher exact tests and logistic regression. The population were UK Biobank participants who had undergone COVID-19 testing. The main outcomes were COVID-19 testing probability and COVID-19 test results.ResultsIndividuals with psychiatric disorders were overrepresented among the 1474 UK Biobank participants with test data: 23% of the COVID-19 test sample had a psychiatric diagnosis compared with 10% in the full cohort (P<0.0001). This overrepresentation persisted for each of the specific psychiatric disorders tested. Furthermore, individuals with a psychiatric disorder (P= 0.01), particularly substance use disorder (P<0.005), had negative test results significantly more often than individuals without psychiatric disorders. Sensitivity analyses confirmed our results.ConclusionsIn contrast with our hypotheses, UK Biobank participants with psychiatric disorders have been tested for COVID-19 more frequently than individuals without a psychiatric history. Among those tested, test outcomes were more frequently negative for registry participants with psychiatric disorders than in others, countering arguments that people with psychiatric disorders are particularly prone to contract the virus.",

keywords = "Epidemiology, service users, stigma and discrimination, outcome studies, COVID-19, SERIOUS MENTAL-ILLNESS, UK BIOBANK, HEALTH-CARE, PEOPLE",

author = "{van der Meer}, Dennis and Justo Pinzon-Espinosa and Lin, {Bochao D.} and Tijdink, {Joeri K.} and Vinkers, {Christiaan H.} and Sinan Guloksuz and Luykx, {Jurjen J.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 The Author(s). Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.",

year = "2020",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1192/bjo.2020.75",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

journal = "Bjpsych open",

issn = "2056-4724",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "5",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Associations between psychiatric disorders, COVID-19 testing probability and COVID-19 testing results

T2 - findings from a population-based study

AU - van der Meer, Dennis

AU - Pinzon-Espinosa, Justo

AU - Lin, Bochao D.

AU - Tijdink, Joeri K.

AU - Vinkers, Christiaan H.

AU - Guloksuz, Sinan

AU - Luykx, Jurjen J.

PY - 2020/9

Y1 - 2020/9

N2 - BackgroundMany psychiatrists are worried their patients, at increased risk for COVID-19 complications, are precluded from receiving appropriate testing. There is a lack of epidemiological data on the associations between psychiatric disorders and COVID-19 testing rates and testing outcomes.AimsTo compare COVID-19 testing probability and results among individuals with psychiatric disorders with those without such diagnoses, and to examine the associations between testing probability and results and psychiatric diagnoses.MethodThis is a population-based study to perform association analyses of psychiatric disorder diagnoses with COVID-19 testing probability and such test results, by using two-sided Fisher exact tests and logistic regression. The population were UK Biobank participants who had undergone COVID-19 testing. The main outcomes were COVID-19 testing probability and COVID-19 test results.ResultsIndividuals with psychiatric disorders were overrepresented among the 1474 UK Biobank participants with test data: 23% of the COVID-19 test sample had a psychiatric diagnosis compared with 10% in the full cohort (P<0.0001). This overrepresentation persisted for each of the specific psychiatric disorders tested. Furthermore, individuals with a psychiatric disorder (P= 0.01), particularly substance use disorder (P<0.005), had negative test results significantly more often than individuals without psychiatric disorders. Sensitivity analyses confirmed our results.ConclusionsIn contrast with our hypotheses, UK Biobank participants with psychiatric disorders have been tested for COVID-19 more frequently than individuals without a psychiatric history. Among those tested, test outcomes were more frequently negative for registry participants with psychiatric disorders than in others, countering arguments that people with psychiatric disorders are particularly prone to contract the virus.

AB - BackgroundMany psychiatrists are worried their patients, at increased risk for COVID-19 complications, are precluded from receiving appropriate testing. There is a lack of epidemiological data on the associations between psychiatric disorders and COVID-19 testing rates and testing outcomes.AimsTo compare COVID-19 testing probability and results among individuals with psychiatric disorders with those without such diagnoses, and to examine the associations between testing probability and results and psychiatric diagnoses.MethodThis is a population-based study to perform association analyses of psychiatric disorder diagnoses with COVID-19 testing probability and such test results, by using two-sided Fisher exact tests and logistic regression. The population were UK Biobank participants who had undergone COVID-19 testing. The main outcomes were COVID-19 testing probability and COVID-19 test results.ResultsIndividuals with psychiatric disorders were overrepresented among the 1474 UK Biobank participants with test data: 23% of the COVID-19 test sample had a psychiatric diagnosis compared with 10% in the full cohort (P<0.0001). This overrepresentation persisted for each of the specific psychiatric disorders tested. Furthermore, individuals with a psychiatric disorder (P= 0.01), particularly substance use disorder (P<0.005), had negative test results significantly more often than individuals without psychiatric disorders. Sensitivity analyses confirmed our results.ConclusionsIn contrast with our hypotheses, UK Biobank participants with psychiatric disorders have been tested for COVID-19 more frequently than individuals without a psychiatric history. Among those tested, test outcomes were more frequently negative for registry participants with psychiatric disorders than in others, countering arguments that people with psychiatric disorders are particularly prone to contract the virus.

KW - Epidemiology

KW - service users

KW - stigma and discrimination

KW - outcome studies

KW - COVID-19

KW - SERIOUS MENTAL-ILLNESS

KW - UK BIOBANK

KW - HEALTH-CARE

KW - PEOPLE

U2 - 10.1192/bjo.2020.75

DO - 10.1192/bjo.2020.75

M3 - Article

C2 - 32696734

SN - 2056-4724

VL - 6

JO - Bjpsych open

JF - Bjpsych open

IS - 5

M1 - 87

ER -