Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.
University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Ir J Psychol Med. 2021 Jun;38(2):116-122. doi: 10.1017/ipm.2020.116. Epub 2020 Sep 30.
This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on presentations to an acute hospital with self-harm.
All presentations to University Hospital Galway with self-harm were assessed during the peak period of the coronavirus crisis in Ireland, over the 3 months from 1 March to 31 May 2020. These data were compared with presentations in the same months in the 3 years preceding (2017-2019). Data were obtained from the anonymised service database.
This study found that in 2020, the rate of presentation with self-harm dropped by 35% from March to April and rose by 104% from April to May, peaking from mid-May. When trends over a 4-year period were examined, there was a significantly higher lethality of attempt (p < 0.001), and significant differences in diagnosis (p = 0.031) in 2020 in comparison with the three previous years. The increased lethality of presentations remained significant after age and gender were controlled for (p = 0.036). There were also significant differences in the underlying psychiatric diagnoses (p = 0.018), notably with a significant increase in substance misuse disorders presenting during the 2020 study period.
COVID-19 showed a reduction in self-harm presentations initially, followed by a sharp increase in May 2020. If a period of economic instability follows as predicted, it is likely that this will further impact the mental health of the population, along with rates of self-harm and suicidal behaviours. There is a need for research into the longer-term effect of COVID-19 and lockdown restrictions, especially with respect to self-harm.
本研究旨在评估 COVID-19 对因自残而到急症医院就诊的影响。
在爱尔兰冠状病毒危机高峰期，对戈尔韦大学医院 2020 年 3 月 1 日至 5 月 31 日期间所有因自残而就诊的患者进行了评估。将这些数据与前 3 年（2017-2019 年）同期的数据进行了比较。数据来自匿名服务数据库。
本研究发现，2020 年 3 月至 4 月自残就诊率下降了 35%，4 月至 5 月上升了 104%，5 月中旬达到峰值。当对 4 年期间的趋势进行检查时，2020 年的企图致死率显著更高（p<0.001），且诊断差异显著（p=0.031），与前 3 年相比。在控制年龄和性别后，这种增加的致命率仍然显著（p=0.036）。就诊时的潜在精神科诊断也存在显著差异（p=0.018），尤其是在 2020 年研究期间，物质使用障碍显著增加。
COVID-19 最初导致自残就诊率下降，随后在 2020 年 5 月急剧上升。如果像预测的那样出现经济不稳定时期，那么这很可能会进一步影响人口的心理健康，以及自残和自杀行为的发生率。需要研究 COVID-19 和封锁限制的长期影响，特别是对自残的影响。
