Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Psychiatric Admissions to a Large Swiss Emergency Department: An Observational Study

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a public health emergency with profound mental health consequences. The psychiatric emergency department (ED) plays a key role during this mental health crisis. This study aimed to investigate differences in admissions at a Swiss psychiatric ED fro...

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Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 18; no. 3; p. 1174
Main Authors: Ambrosetti, Julia, Macheret, Laura, Folliet, Aline, Wullschleger, Alexandre, Amerio, Andrea, Aguglia, Andrea, Serafini, Gianluca, Prada, Paco, Kaiser, Stefan, Bondolfi, Guido, Sarasin, François, Costanza, Alessandra
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Switzerland MDPI 28.01.2021
Subjects:
COVID-19 - psychology
Emergency Service, Hospital - statistics & numerical data
Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data
Humans
Mental Health
Pandemics
Psychiatric Department, Hospital - statistics & numerical data
Switzerland - epidemiology
Switzerland
COVID-19 pandemic
psychotic episode
public mental health
suicide
coronavirus
psychiatric admissions
substance use disorder
depression
emergency department
suicidal behavior
ISSN:1660-4601, 1661-7827, 1660-4601
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a public health emergency with profound mental health consequences. The psychiatric emergency department (ED) plays a key role during this mental health crisis. This study aimed to investigate differences in admissions at a Swiss psychiatric ED from 1 April to 15 May during a “pandemic-free” period in 2016 and a “during-pandemic” period in 2020. The study included 579 consultations at psychiatric ED in the “during-pandemic” period and 702 in the “pandemic-free” period. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were compared, and logistic regression analysis was performed to identify variables associated with psychiatric admissions during the pandemic. A reduction in total psychiatric ED admissions was documented during COVID-19. Logistic regression analysis predicted the independent variable (ED admission during the pandemic) and estimated odds ratio (OR) for being unmarried/not in a relationship, arrival in an ambulance, suicidal behavior, behavioral disorders and psychomotor agitation. Though only statistically significant in bivariate analysis, patients were also more likely to be involuntarily hospitalized. This picture appears to be reversed from a sociodemographic and clinical point of view to our observation of psychiatric ED consultation in 2016. These findings highlight that the reduction in psychiatric ED admissions during the pandemic seems to be associated with living alone and more severe psychopathologies, which must alert psychiatrists to ensure access to mental health care in times of pandemic.
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ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph18031174