Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Hospitalizations in an Acute Psychiatric Ward

Abstract

Background

The Sars-CoV-2 pandemic imposed unprecedented and drastic changes in health care organizations all over the world.

Purpose

To evaluate the impact of the pandemic on hospitalizations in an acute psychiatric ward.

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively identified and compared acute psychiatric hospitalizations in the Service for Psychiatric Diagnosis and Care (SPDC) of AUSL-Modena during the pre-pandemic (n = 1858) and pandemic period (n = 1095), from 01/01/2017 to 31/12/2022. Data were statistically analyzed using STATA12.

Results

We collected 1858 hospitalizations in the pre-pandemic and 1095 in the pandemic. During the pandemic, we observed a progressively sharp reduction in voluntary hospitalizations, whereas involuntary ones remained stable with an increase in 2022 (p < 0.001), longer hospital stays (12.32 mean days vs 10.03; p < 0.001), longer periods of involuntary hospitalizations (8.45 mean days vs 5.72; p < 0.001), more frequent aggressive behaviour (16.10% vs 9.12%; p < 0.001) and referral to psychiatric communities at discharge (11.04% vs 6.13%; p < 0.001); non-Italians (p = 0.001), people with disability pension (p < 0.001) and Support Administrator (p < 0.001) were more frequently hospitalized.

Conclusion

During the pandemic, voluntary psychiatric hospitalizations decreased, but not involuntary ones, and the most vulnerable people in serious clinical conditions were hospitalized.

Keywords:

• psychiatric hospitalizations
• COVID-19 pandemic
• community mental health
• psychiatric involuntary treatment

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Emilia Nord Health Area (Prot. 10826/2023) and authorized by AUSL-Modena (Prot. n. 688; 27/4/2023).

Acknowledgments

The authors thank O. R. for her meaningful support in language revision.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no external funding.