The impact of COVID-19 on mental health in persons with and without psychiatric disorders: extension of ongoing large-scale cohort studies

This study examines whether the COVID-19 pandemic leads to increased symptoms of depression and anxiety, especially in psychiatric patients. It uniquely utilizes the availability of >3000 subjects from ongoing psychiatric cohort studies that have been well-characterized in multiple waves during the last decade. Psychiatric symptoms will be re-assessed using consecutive online assessments (April-July 2020), allowing comparison with symptoms in periods before the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, determinants (psychiatric history, psychosocial and coping characteristics) of (change in) symptoms will be examined.