Effect of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic outbreak on the emergency department admission for an acute psychiatric condition”

Preliminary evidence seems to suggest a reduction in absolute terms of Emergency Department (ED) admissions
for an acute psychiatric condition during the first months of the pandemic. The study aimed to test through a
long-term time analysis the effect of COVID-19 on changes in ED visits for an acute psychiatric condition.
A quasi-experimental interrupted time series analysis of admissions for acute psychiatric conditions to the
Emergency Department of the Merano Hospital (Italy) was performed from January 2017 to August 2021. The
main outcome was the monthly rate of ED accesses for an acute psychiatric condition reported per 1000 general
admissions. The pandemic outbreak was used as an intervention point.
4398 ED admissions for an acute psychiatric condition were registered. The rate of monthly admissions over
total admissions increased from a mean of March 17, 1000 (SD 2.9) admissions per month in the pre-COVID-19
era to September 22, 1000 (SD 4.5) in the pandemic months, p < 0.001. In March 2020, the pandemic outbreak
led to a significant increase in ED visits for an acute psychiatric condition (p = 0.013) and suicide attempts (p =
0.029), and to an increased need for pharmacological sedation in ED (p = 0.001). During the pandemic, although
admissions and hospitalizations showed a non-significant decreasing trend, suicide attempts increased steadily
and significantly.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a major increase in rates of admission to the ED for an acute
psychiatric condition.