Hamlin Matilda, Ymerson Thérèse, Carlsen Hanne Krage, Dellepiane Marzia, Falk Örjan, Ioannou Michael, Steingrimsson Steinn
Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Region Västra Götaland, Department of Psychiatry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Front Psychiatry. 2022 Feb 17;13:829374. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.829374. eCollection 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused societal restrictions and public fear which may have impacted the pattern of seeking psychiatric care. There has generally been a decrease in the numbers seeking acute psychiatric care. It is important to investigate which groups seeking psychiatric treatment have decreased in number. The aim of our investigation was to identify which groups have a changed pattern in acute psychiatric service utilization during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study investigated changes in the rate and pattern of visits and hospital admissions for psychiatric disorders at a large Swedish hospital. A register-based study was conducted using administrative data on adult psychiatric emergency department visits (PEVs) and hospital admission rates. Data during the first two COVID-19 waves were compared to corresponding control periods in 2018-2019. Furthermore, a survey was performed among patients visiting the Psychiatric Emergency Department on their views of COVID-19 and acute psychiatric care. During the COVID-19 periods, PEVs were reduced overall by 16 and 15% during the first and second wave, respectively ( < 0.001 in both cases), while the rate of admissions remained unaltered. PEVs were significantly reduced for most psychiatric diagnosis subgroups except for patients with schizophrenia and other related psychotic disorders as well as for those who required ongoing outpatient care. Most of the survey respondents disagreed that the pandemic affected their visit and about a quarter thought a video call with a doctor could have replaced their visit. In conclusion, there was a significant reduction in overall PEVs during both COVID-19 waves but this did not affect the numbers requiring admission for psychiatric inpatient care.
新冠疫情导致了社会限制和公众恐惧，这可能影响了寻求精神科护理的模式。寻求急性精神科护理的人数总体上有所减少。调查哪些寻求精神科治疗的群体数量减少很重要。我们调查的目的是确定在新冠疫情的前两波期间，哪些群体在急性精神科服务利用方面有模式变化。该研究调查了瑞典一家大型医院精神疾病就诊率和住院率的变化及模式。利用成人精神科急诊科就诊（PEV）和住院率的行政数据进行了一项基于登记的研究。将新冠疫情前两波期间的数据与2018 - 2019年相应的对照期进行比较。此外，对前往精神科急诊科就诊的患者进行了一项关于他们对新冠疫情和急性精神科护理看法的调查。在新冠疫情期间，第一波和第二波期间PEV总体分别减少了16%和15%（两种情况均P < 0.001），而住院率保持不变。除了精神分裂症和其他相关精神障碍患者以及那些需要持续门诊护理的患者外，大多数精神科诊断亚组的PEV显著降低。大多数调查受访者不同意疫情影响了他们的就诊，约四分之一的人认为与医生进行视频通话可以替代他们的就诊。总之，在新冠疫情的两波期间，总体PEV显著减少，但这并未影响需要精神科住院护理的人数。
