Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on admissions to general hospital psychiatric wards in Italy:Reduced psychiatric hospitalizations and increased suicidality
In: $2, 2021
academicJournal
Zugriff:
Aims: The present investigation aimed at evaluating differences in psychiatric hospitalizations in Italy during and after the lockdown due to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), compared to the same periods in 2018 and 2019. Methods: We obtained and analyzed anonymized data on psychiatric admissions (n = 4550) from 12 general hospital psychiatric wards (GHPWs) in different Italian regions (catchment area = 3.71 millions of inhabitants). Using a mixed-effects Poisson regression model, we compared admission characteristics across three periods: (a) March 1–June 30, 2018 and 2019; (b) March 1–April 30, 2020 (i.e., lockdown); and (c) May 1–June 30, 2020 (i.e., post-lockdown). Results: During the COVID-19 lockdown, there was a 41% reduction (IRR = 0.59; p 65 years) was observed in the lockdown (40%; IRR = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.44–0.82) and post-lockdown (28%; IRR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.54–0.96) periods. Long-stay admissions (>14 days) increased (63%; IRR = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.32–2.02) during the lockdown and decreased by 39% thereafter (IRR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.49–0.75). A significant 35% increase in patients reporting suicidal ideation was observed in the post-lockdown period, compared to the rate observed in the 2018 and 2019 control period (IRR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.01–1.79). Conclusion: The COVID-19 lockdown was associated with changes in the number of psychiatric admissions, particularly for older patients and long-stay hospitalizations. Increased admission of patients reporting suicidal ideation in the post-lockdown period merits special attention. Further studies are required to gain insight into the observed phenomena.
Titel: |
Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on admissions to general hospital psychiatric wards in Italy:Reduced psychiatric hospitalizations and increased suicidality
|
---|---|
Link: | |
Zeitschrift: | $2, 2021 |
Veröffentlichung: | Elsevier Inc. ; GB, 2021 |
Medientyp: | academicJournal |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110304 |
Schlagwort: |
|
Sonstiges: |
|