*2.2. Procedures*

The first data collection (T1) was conducted in November 2019 (non-COVID time, hereinafter NoCoT). The patients were evaluated using the following clinical scales: the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and Kennedy Axis V (K Axis). The second data collection (T2) was conducted in April 2020 (COVID time, CoT). The patients were evaluated with the same scales as those at T1, but specific items were added on COVID-19 to investigate the psychiatric patients' knowledge and risk perception about the COVID-19 pandemic. Information on COVID-19 was collected through self-report items (i.e., "How did you become aware of the spread of COVID-19?"; "What is COVID-19?"; "Did you participate in community training sessions on this health emergency?").
