The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Psychiatric Emergency Department Visits - A Descriptive Study

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2020-08-25

Authors

Manuel Pinho (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Psychiatric Quarterly

ISSN: 0033-2720

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 78 Citations

Scopus - 80 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00S-MVC

DOI: 10.1007/s11126-020-09837-z

Abstract (EN): The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (COVID-19) has an important direct and indirect impact on both physical and mental health. We aim to describe the impact of an emergency state period due to COVID-19 on psychiatric emergency department (ED) visits. We conducted a retrospective observational study analysing all emergency visits occurring at a metropolitan psychiatric ED between March 19th and May 2nd 2019 and 2020 (the beginning/end date of the emergency state which Portugal was under due to COVID-19). Data regarding age, sex, diagnoses, admission date, discharge destiny and status were collected. Diagnoses were classified using the International Classification of Diseases version 9, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM). There was a 52 center dot 2% decrease on the number of psychiatric emergency visits during the emergency state period (n(2020) = 780 vs n(2019) = 1633 episodes). The decrease on psychiatric ED visits was greater in the female sex and in the younger age groups. Episodes with a primary diagnosis ofMood disorderslead the decrease on psychiatric ED visits with 68 center dot 3% less episodes.Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorderswas the diagnosis group with the smaller decline (9 center dot 8% decrease). COVID-19 emergency state period had an important impact on the number and characteristics of psychiatric ED visits, reinforcing the great indirect effects of COVID-19 on mental health.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 11