COVID-19 phobia in a boy with undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder
| العنوان: | COVID-19 phobia in a boy with undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder |
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| المؤلفون: | Dai Miyawaki, Ayako Goto, Daisuke Tokuhara, Shoko Sakamoto, Koki Inoue, Yuji Harima |
| المصدر: | Medicine. 100:e26233 |
| بيانات النشر: | Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2021. |
| سنة النشر: | 2021 |
| مصطلحات موضوعية: | medicine.medical_specialty, genetic structures, business.industry, medicine.medical_treatment, Psychological intervention, General Medicine, medicine.disease, behavioral disciplines and activities, Phobic disorder, Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Autism spectrum disorder, 030220 oncology & carcinogenesis, mental disorders, medicine, Child and adolescent psychiatry, Psychoeducation, Anxiety, 030212 general & internal medicine, medicine.symptom, Psychiatry, business, Anxiety disorder |
| الوصف: | BackgroundThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is affecting mental health profoundly. Previous studies have reported pandemic-related anxiety. Anxiety disorder and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are relatively common comorbidities. However, thus far, there is no report of any patient with undiagnosed ASD who developed anxiety disorders caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.Case presentationIn this case report, we describe an 8-year-old Japanese boy with undiagnosed ASD who developed COVID-19 phobia, resulting in avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). As COVID-19 was highly publicized in the mass media and the risk of droplet infection was emphasized upon, the patient began to fear viral contamination from food, culminating in a refusal to eat or even swallow his saliva. He was admitted to a pediatric medical center in Osaka with life-threatening dehydration and was then referred to our child psychiatry department for treatment. We clinically diagnosed the patient with COVID-19 phobia resulting in ARFID. We identified the characteristics of ASD from his present social communication skills and developmental history. We provided psychoeducation of ASD for the parents as well as administered supportive psychotherapy for the patient. Shortly after our intervention, which was designed to relieve his ASD-related anxiety, his dysphagia improved. Our findings suggest that children with undiagnosed ASD may develop COVID-19 phobia. In these cases, intervention for ASD, such as sharing information with parents and teachers to explain what autism is and how it is likely to affect the child’s development and function, and to make an individual education plan may be more appropriate than starting treatment for anxiety disorders as the first-line option.ConclusionCOVID-19 is the biggest pandemic in the recent past and more undiagnosed ASD patients who develop COVID-19 phobia may seek treatment. Clinicians should consider the underlying ASD in these patients and assess their developmental history, such as joint attention, as well as their present social communication skills. |
| تدمد: | 1536-5964 0025-7974 |
| URL الوصول: | https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_dedup___::19ab61bea43f3cc96a54ebc56d813dc0 https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000026233 |
| حقوق: | OPEN |
| رقم الأكسشن: | edsair.doi.dedup.....19ab61bea43f3cc96a54ebc56d813dc0 |
| قاعدة البيانات: | OpenAIRE |
| تدمد: | 15365964 00257974 |
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