Mental health outcome among psychiatric patients due to COVID 19 lockdown induced disruption of access to psychiatric services: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: COVID 19 lockdown has an impact on the mental health of the general population, COVID patients, and health professionals. However, knowledge about its impact on psychiatric patients is limited.Objectives: To assess the mental health outcomes among psychiatric patients due to disruption of access to psychiatric services caused by the COVID 19 lockdown.Materials and Methods: It was a single-center, cross-sectional, observational, pragmatic study conducted at a tertiary care psychiatric hospital. All consecutive psychiatric patients presented to review in the outpatient department for 3 weeks following the relaxation of lockdown were screened, and a total of 305 eligible patients were enrolled. A semi-structured questionnaire was applied to capture the mental health status of the patients.Results: More than three-fourths (78.3%) of patients were off medications during the lockdown. During lockdown, more than half (64.3%) of patients' mental health conditions worsened, and significantly more in those who were not on medications. More than half of patients who were doing well before lockdown showed re-emergence of symptoms, and it was more commonly seen in mood disorder patients, followed by schizophrenia and other psychotic disorder patients. Thirty-one (10.1%) patients reported self-harm ideas; six (1.9%) claimed to have made self-harm attempts during lockdown.Conclusions: COVID-19 lockdown has worsened the mental health status of psychiatric patients. Strengthening community-based psychiatric care in tie-up with telepsychiatry services and adopting new innovative measures may help face such eventualities in the future.