This article focuses on the issue of the burden that families with people with schizophrenia in care are confronted with. The pandemic caused significant disruption to the family dynamics of people caring for individuals with schizophrenia due to their higher risk of infection and worse outcomes. Families with patients with schizophrenia should pay close attention to detect both respiratory and psychiatric symptoms as early as possible. They may need health care professional support, guidance and help to prevent COVID-19 infection among people diagnosed with schizophrenia. However, the issue of the difficulties that families with people diagnosed with schizophrenia face remains a serious matter.

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disease that affects approximately 1% of the global population. Schizophrenia is characterised by positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. The etiological factors of this psychiatric illness are not fully deciphered, but the most incriminated are genetic factors and environmental risk factors. The treatment of schizophrenia has the role of reduction the duration and intensity of episodes and consists in the administration of typical or atypical antipsychotic drugs, antiparkinsonian, anxiolytic, sedatives or antidepressants. Of these, some of the drugs may have side effects that modify patients' salivary flow rates. Xerostomy is a subjective sign characterized by a dry mouth sensation and is caused by hypofunction of the salivary glands. According to a series of studies, xerostomia can be an adverse effect of typical antipsychotic medication as well as antiparkinsonian medication. Sialorrhea is caused by hyperfunction of the salivary glands and is characterized by an increased secretion of saliva. This side effect is especially noticeable during the night sleep. Alteration of salivary function creates increased discomfort to the schizophrenic patient, which causes him to give up regular medication. The aim of this study is to review the literature on the link between schizophrenia, the treatment of schizophrenia and impaired salivary function.

The involuntary commitment of psychiatric patients has been done for almost a decade under the Law 487/2002, the law of mental health and protection for people with psychiatric disorders. Frequent involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations have led to stigma attitudes and discriminatory acts towards patients with mental disorders. The coercive medical measures are applied in the psychiatric institutions of the mental health protection agencies. Coercion gives rise to serious ethical debates in the psychiatric assistance. The individual who was hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital anticipates social rejection becoming defensive, withdraws socially, experiences a complex internal conflict. The goal for this study is to illustrate aspects linked to coercive measures, mechanical restraint at involuntary admission of patients with mental illnesses in the psychiatric medical assistance. Material and method: This study is a retrospective one, and the data was taken from the charts with involuntary admissions during the period of October 2002 to July 2012. The studied lot was comprised of 202 patients admitted involuntarily in a psychiatric hospital according to the Law 487/2002, the law of mental health and protection for people with psychiatric disorders. Results: Of the 25.7% patients admitted involuntarily, that required coercive measures during admission, 58% were contained for symptoms like self-harm. The mechanical contention measures were especially necessary in the acute cases with symptoms as self-harm and/or harm of others, but also in situations with hallucinatory-delirium symptoms. The ratio of male sex subjects was significantly higher in the subject lot that needed coercive measures during hospitalization, of those admitted involuntarily (86.5% vs. 72%) (p = 0.036). Conclusions: Involuntary admission and mandatory treatment remains in psychiatry a medical, legal and ethical problem. The required measures can lead mainly to clinical benefits, implying a paternal attitude from the psychiatry specialists by defying the patients’ autonomy. Treatment compliance is directly proportional to the overall level of functioning and inversely proportional to the level of self-stigmatization.

We intend to present the results of a on-going study started in pandemic concerning dentophobia as a health problem. Our aim was to correlate the level of health education with the feeling of fear of dentistry and anxiety in young population during the pandemic. We used an anonymous online questionnaire on a group of 45 subjects aged 18-55. The results of this on-going study up to this stage show that despite the pandemic, there is a concern of young adults about about oral hygiene and dental issues as part of the overall health of the subjects investigated. The need to implement psycho-educational dentistry programs still exists.

Coercion raises serious ethical and legal issues in psychiatric care. Coercive medical measures are applied in psychiatric institutions for protective purposes. Alcoholism is a social and medical problem because it especially affects the behavior of the individual. Alcohol consumption can catalyze exacerbations of mental illness and predispose to behaviors with an increased risk of violence. Aim: The purpose of this study is to illustrate medical and legal issues related to coercive measures in emergency psychiatric care during the pandemic. Methods: The study is retrospective, and the data were taken from the observation sheets of patients in the period between March 1, 2020–March 31, 2021, in acute section II in the Institute of Psychiatry "Socola" Iasi. Results: Of those who required coercive measures during hospitalization, most were restraint for symptoms such as: self-aggression and aggression towards others. Mechanical restraint measures were also necessary in cases with hallucinatory-delusional symptoms, associated with self-aggression and aggression towards others. The share of hospitalized patients for alcohol abuse, who required coercive measures, was significantly higher during the pandemic. Conclusion: Manifestations of violence among patients with major mental disorders are rare. Mechanical restraint was necessary especially in those who had self-aggression and aggression towards others, symptoms secondary to alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption amplifies the psychological imbalance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.