Het aantal en de aard van de aanmeldingen bij de psychiatrische crisiszorg tijdens de COVID-19-pandemie: een retrospectieve observationele studie

Abstract

The number and nature of admissions to psychiatric crisis care during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective observational study. Aim: The aim of this study is to describe and evaluate the admissions to the University Psychiatric Emergency Unit of University Hospital Ghent (UPSIE) and the Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) of the Gent-Eeklo-Vlaamse Ardennen region during the COVID-19-pandemic. Method: A retrospective observational study was conducted, analyzing data from UPSIE and MCT from 2018 to 2021. We compared the clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of admission in 2020 and 2021 with those in 2018 and 2019. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed a decrease in admissions at UPSIE. There was an increase in suicidality and requests for involuntary hospitalization in 2020 and 2021. The proportion of female admissions increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. As for MCT, we observed an increase in admissions in 2021, with a rise in the proportion of anxiety disorders in 2020 and mood disorders in 2021. Conclusion: We found changes in the number and nature of admissions to UPSIE and MCT during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research is needed to clarify the impact of COVID on psychiatric crisis care.