Community mental health services: Access for acute psychiatric care during the COVID-19 lockdown

Sekharan, Lokesh; Jagadheesan, Karuppiah; Danivas, Vijay; Itrat, Quratulain; Lakra, Vinay

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2022.05.060

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 10 publications

(9 reference statements)

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“…It has been well documented that the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions not only changed access to healthcare but also its quality. [18][19][20][21] Mental health services were found to be particularly at risk, 22 with a World Health Organization survey in 2020 showing that 30% of countries reported partial closure of in-patient mental health services, with rates as high as nearly 70% for community-based services. 23 Furthermore, available psychiatric and also general healthcare was no longer accessible or provided in the usual way (e.g.…”

Section: Interpretation Of Our Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A country report: impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on involuntary psychiatric treatment in Austria

Fellinger,

Waldhör,

Vyssoki

et al. 2023

BJPsych open

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Background Coercive measures such as involuntary psychiatric admission are considered a last resort in the treatment of people with psychiatric disorders. So far, numerous factors have been identified that influence their use. However, the link between a pandemic – in particular, restrictions such as lockdowns – and the use of involuntary psychiatric admission is unclear. Aim To examine the association between COVID-19 lockdowns and involuntary psychiatric admissions in Austria. Method This retrospective exploratory study assessed all involuntary psychiatric admissions and use of mechanical restraint in Austria, except for the federal state of Vorarlberg, between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2020. Descriptive statistics and regression models were used. Results During the 3-year study period, 40 012 individuals (45.9% females, mean age 51.3 years) had 66 124 involuntary psychiatric admissions for an average of 10.9 days. Mechanical restraint was used during 33.9% of these admissions. In weeks of nationwide COVID-19 lockdowns (2020 v. 2018/2019), involuntary psychiatric admissions were significantly fewer (odds ratio = 0.93, P = 0.0001) but longer (11.6 (s.d.: 16) v. 10.9 (s.d.: 15.8) days). The likelihood of involuntary admission during lockdowns was associated with year (2020 v. 2018–2019; adjusted odds ratio = 0.92; P = 0.0002) but not with sex (P = 0.814), age (P = 0.310), use of mechanical restraint (P = 0.653) or type of ward (P = 0.843). Conclusions Restrictions such as lockdowns affect coercive measures and resulted in fewer but longer involuntary psychiatric admissions during weeks of lockdown in Austria. These results strengthen previous findings that showed the dependence of coercive measures on external factors, highlighting the need to further clarify causality and desired prevention effects when using coercive measures.

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Section: Interpretation Of Our Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A country report: impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on involuntary psychiatric treatment in Austria

Fellinger,

Waldhör,

Vyssoki

et al. 2023

BJPsych open

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Het aantal en de aard van de aanmeldingen bij de psychiatrische crisiszorg tijdens de COVID-19-pandemie: een retrospectieve observationele studie

Van Steen,

Wijnants,

Lemmens

et al. 2023

Tijdschr Geneesk

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The number and nature of admissions to psychiatric crisis care during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective observational study. Aim: The aim of this study is to describe and evaluate the admissions to the University Psychiatric Emergency Unit of University Hospital Ghent (UPSIE) and the Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) of the Gent-Eeklo-Vlaamse Ardennen region during the COVID-19-pandemic. Method: A retrospective observational study was conducted, analyzing data from UPSIE and MCT from 2018 to 2021. We compared the clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of admission in 2020 and 2021 with those in 2018 and 2019. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed a decrease in admissions at UPSIE. There was an increase in suicidality and requests for involuntary hospitalization in 2020 and 2021. The proportion of female admissions increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. As for MCT, we observed an increase in admissions in 2021, with a rise in the proportion of anxiety disorders in 2020 and mood disorders in 2021. Conclusion: We found changes in the number and nature of admissions to UPSIE and MCT during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research is needed to clarify the impact of COVID on psychiatric crisis care.

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Community mental health services: Access for acute psychiatric care during the COVID-19 lockdown

Cited by 2 publications

References 10 publications

A country report: impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on involuntary psychiatric treatment in Austria

A country report: impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on involuntary psychiatric treatment in Austria

Het aantal en de aard van de aanmeldingen bij de psychiatrische crisiszorg tijdens de COVID-19-pandemie: een retrospectieve observationele studie

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