Impact of the 2020 lockdown on prehospital psychiatric emergencies in alarge city

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represented a serious challenge for healthcare systems worldwide. Special psychiatric patients represent a vulnerable group and are particularly affected by lockdown interventions. Knowledge on the possible effects for this group of patients in an emergency physician setting is low. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of the first lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 on emergency ambulance services for psychiatric patients in alarge German city. Aretrospective analysis was conducted on all prehospital psychiatric emergencies in alarge German city during the first pandemic-related lockdown from 22 March 2020 to 4 May 2020, with the same period in 2019 serving as areference. During the first lockdown there was asignificant increase in the number of emergency missions with respect to psychiatric cases. Asubstantial rise in substance-associated deployments was observed. Moreover, there was an increase in the proportion of psychiatric patients who did not meet emergency criteria. Suicidal tendencies and agitation status played aminor role during the lockdown. The lockdown had anotable impact on the frequency and profile of emergency physician calls in the metropolitan area studied. The substantial increase in substance-associated callouts can be interpreted as both adeterioration in access to the healthcare system and an expression of the increased stress faced by the general population and vulnerable groups in particular.