Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a major upheaval to the lives of people and placed a strain on societal mental health. The aim of this research is to estimate the impact of the pandemic on the mental condition of the Polish population measured through the consumption of relevant medication and medical leave of absence from the workplace. Methods: We analyzed national-level data on the consumption of pharmaceuticals used in clinical practice in Poland in the treatment of depression and anxiety alongside medical absence in the workplace using the Interrupted Time Series model to estimate the significance of the pandemic. Results: We found no significant change regarding the consumption of pharmaceuticals with the development of the pandemic. Conversely, medical leaves of absence for psychiatric reasons increased significantly with the onset of COVID-19. The influence was strongest in the diagnosis of anxiety or reaction to severe stress and weakest in recurrent depression. Conclusion: The pandemic had a significant influence on the ability to work for psychiatric patients in Poland but did not change pharmaceutical use. Physicians should consider the mental health of patients impacted by the anti-epidemic measures. Further study is needed to fully understand the long-term impact of the pandemic on mental health in Poland.
Highlights
The onset of the global pandemic of COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus SARSCoV-2 has caused a major disruption to everyday lives of people everywhere
Data from the NFZ report that reimbursement for antidepressants and antianxiety medication has been granted to 1.38 million people in 2020 [22]
The data on pharmaceutical drug consumption and medical leaves of absence indicates that the impact of COVID-19 pandemic had mixed effects on patients suffering from depression or anxiety in Poland
Summary
The onset of the global pandemic of COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus SARSCoV-2 has caused a major disruption to everyday lives of people everywhere. The first cases were recorded in China in December 2019 and, by March 2020, had spread to most countries around the world, including Poland [1]. A state of epidemic was introduced in Poland on 20 March 2020 and, as of January 2022, was ongoing. Periods of crisis and uncertainty, such as a global epidemic, are recognized as times of increased incidence of mental disorders in the population [3–5]. A connection between mental illness and infectious disease outbreaks, including COVID-19, has been described in literature [6]. For this reason, the importance of mental health resources for patients in such times has been recognized by researchers [7] as well as the World
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
