Aim: Since the declaration of an emergency following the spread of COVID-19, the number of elderly patients complaining of delusions has increased. Therefore, we investigated the characteristics of patients diagnosed with delusional disorders in our clinic.
Methods: A total of 1,884 patients ≥ 65 years old who visited the Center for Comprehensive Care on Memory Disorders at Kyorin University Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021 were included in the study. The 17 patients diagnosed with delusional disorders were divided into 2 groups based on the timing of the first declaration of emergency, and the characteristics of each group were investigated.
Results: Seven patients were diagnosed with delusional disorder before the first declaration of emergency and 10 after the declaration. The proportion of patients increased by approximately three-fold after the declaration. Post-emergency patients were less motivated to be active than those encountered before the declaration, and many had no history of mental illness. Seven of the 10 post-emergency patients visited the Memory Clinic within 1 year of the onset of delusions.
Conclusions: After the first declaration of an emergency, elderly patients with no history of psychiatric disorders acutely developed delusional disorders.The physical and psychological effects of COVID-19 on the elderly should be considered.
Keywords: COVID-19; Declaration of emergency; Delusional disorder; Memory Clinic.