New Study Delves into Effects of Pandemic on Depression & Mental Health

SANTA ROSA, Calif., Nov. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Anish Shah, a psychiatrist and founder of Siyan Clinical Corporation and Siyan Clinical Research in Santa Rosa, Calif., has published a clinical study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns, which quantifies what many of us inherently suspected. Namely, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation on people's mental health are quite extensive. Because there have been limited studies on the effects of the pandemic on patients with pre-existing mental health disorders, this is where Shah focused his attention. "The unpredictability of the last year-and-a-half has been difficult for everyone," says Shah. "I've been particularly concerned about those in our community who were already struggling with their mental health. This pandemic increased isolation made seeking help more difficult and added layers of anxiety and fear. I wanted to find a way to delineate that so we can set up systems to alleviate this pain in the future." Learn more about Dr. Shah's work at https://siyanclinical.com/tms-treatment-for-depression/  or call 707-310-8213.

The results of the study include:

• The least affected age group included individuals aged 75 years or older. This was followed closely by the 65- to 75-year-old age group.
• People with children under age of 18 at home were the most affected group, with both more negative and positive indicators associated with the pandemic, compared to those without children at home.
• Gender queer, nonconforming, and transgender individuals may also be at higher risk for more negative impacts associated with the pandemic.
• Substance use increased during the pandemic.

Shah and his team used the newly developed Epidemic-Pandemic Impacts Inventory (EPII) survey, a 92-item tool designed to assess tangible impacts of epidemics and pandemics across personal and social life domains (Grasso, D.J., Briggs-Gowan, M.J., Ford, J.D., and Carter, A.S. (2020). The Epidemic – Pandemic Impacts Inventory (EPII), University of Connecticut School of Medicine.). A total of 245 adults, recruited from a mental health clinic, completed the consent form and responded to the survey link from the Siyan practices. 

The EPII survey can assess the tangible impacts of epidemics and pandemics across personal and social life domains. It may be a valuable tool for future studies that aim to examine the effects of stressful situations on at-risk populations. Overall, this data is a critical step toward understanding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with a mental health diagnosis, which may aid mental health practitioners in understanding the consequences of pandemics on their patients' overall well-being. The findings are published in the JMIR Formative Research Journal. ( https://formative.jmir.org/2021/7/e29952/authors)

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Dr. Shah Covid-19 Efforts
The devastating COVID-19 outbreak in India claimed thousands of lives and has brought attention to the severe shortages of essential medical supplies in the region. Dr. Shah took a personal role in this crisis close to his heart and has tirelessly worked to deliver aid and support to impacted patients, colleagues, and partners both locally and in India. Dr. Shah has volunteered himself to provide treatment consultations to several COVID-19 patients and participating in several organizations.

Dr. Anish Shah is a graduate of the University of Illinois residency program and began his career as a General Psychiatrist in 2004, working in several facilities such as Kaiser Permanente, Sonoma County Mental Health, and Napa State Hospital as medical director supervising more than 80 providers. He specializes in a wide range of mood disorders such as depression, ADHD, PTSD, substance abuse, and schizophrenia.

SOURCE Siyan Clinical Corporation

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