Psychosis Associated With COVID Vaccine

There have been a few reported cases of new-onset psychosis following COVID-19 vaccination, even in individuals without prior psychiatric history. The most commonly reported reactions include altered mental states, psychosis, mania, depression, and suicidal behavior.

Key findings from the case reports and studies:

• Psychotic symptoms appeared most frequently after the mRNA BNT162b2 (Pfizer) vaccine (33.3% of cases) and the viral vector ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AstraZeneca) vaccine (25% of cases).
• The mean onset time for psychotic symptoms was 5.75 ± 8.14 days after vaccination, mostly reported after the first or second dose.
• Blood tests showed mild to moderate abnormalities like leukocytosis and elevated C-reactive protein in 50% of cases. Brain MRI was abnormal in 20.8%, often showing white matter hyperintensities.

Proposed mechanisms include vaccine-triggered inflammation leading to autoimmune encephalitis, stress/anxiety precipitating symptoms, and interactions with psychotropic medications. However, the available data is limited to uncontrolled case reports, so a direct causal relationship cannot be established.

https://www.pediatr-neonatol.com/article/S1875-9572%2822%2900268-6/fulltext