Abstract
Multiple empirical studies have revealed significant pandemic effects of COVID-19 on mental health in various populations. This study aimed to analyze the incidences of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adjustment disorder (AjD) in national healthcare in 2018–2020 in one of the European countries—Lithuania—and estimate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on PTSD and AjD incidences in 2020. The national healthcare registry was used for estimations of diagnosis of PTSD, AjD, and major depressive disorder (MD). The study revealed that stress-related disorders PTSD and AjD are diagnosed rarely, resulting in a considerable gap between the expected prevalence and incidences of these diagnoses in healthcare in Lithuania. Moreover, a significant decline in mental disorders incidence in healthcare in 2020, in comparison to 2018 and 2019, was found, revealing that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on access to healthcare services and increased barriers for mental disorders treatment. The study indicates that major developments in building up knowledge about the effects of trauma and life stressors on mental health are needed in Lithuania and other countries to increase awareness about stress-related disorders and improve care for trauma survivors, in particular in the context of the pandemics or other large-scale disasters.
Highlights
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adjustment disorder (AjD) are among the most often diagnosed mental disorders according to mental health professionals’ surveys [1,2].according to epidemiological studies, PTSD prevalence rates are within 1–3% in the general population across Europe [3]
Contrary to the empirical studies and expert opinion on the traumatizing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and indications that it can be associated with the high prevalence of PTSD [15] or AjD [13], we found no increase in PTSD or AjD incidence in healthcare in 2020
The findings of our study reveal that trauma- and stress-related disorders are not diagnosed in routine clinical care in Lithuania, which is a troubling finding due to the increase in the rates of mental disorders associated with the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide
Summary
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adjustment disorder (AjD) are among the most often diagnosed mental disorders according to mental health professionals’ surveys [1,2].according to epidemiological studies, PTSD prevalence rates are within 1–3% in the general population across Europe [3]. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adjustment disorder (AjD) are among the most often diagnosed mental disorders according to mental health professionals’ surveys [1,2]. According to studies conducted in EU countries, the prevalence of ICD-10 adjustment disorder ranges from 0.9 to 1.4% in the general population in Germany [4], to as high as 16.5% in the general population in Lithuania [5]. The recognition and diagnosis of disorders associated with stress, PTSD, or AjD, in healthcare, is crucial in delivering stress- and trauma-focused treatments for patients who were exposed to life stressors or traumatic experiences. Health care utilization studies of the PTSD and AjD treatments are scarce; the few available studies reveal a low incidence of these mental disorders in healthcare across various countries
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