scholarly journals Impact of the first COVID-19 outbreak on mental health service utilisation at a Dutch mental health centre: retrospective observational study

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Man Wei Chow ◽  
Eric O. Noorthoorn ◽  
André I. Wierdsma ◽  
Marte van der Horst ◽  
Nini de Boer ◽  
...  

Background Previous studies into mental health service utilisation during the COVID-19 pandemic are limited to a few countries or specific type of service. In addition, data on changes in telepsychiatry are currently lacking. Aims We aimed to investigate whether the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with changes in mental health service utilisation, including telepsychiatry, and how these changes were distributed among patients with mental illness during the first COVID-19 outbreak. Method This retrospective study obtained routinely assessed healthcare data from a large Dutch mental healthcare institute. Data from the second quarter of 2020 (the first COVID-19 outbreak period) were compared with the pre-pandemic period between January 2018 and March 2020. Time-series analyses were performed with the quasi-Poisson generalised linear model, to examine the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown and the overall trend of mental health service utilisation per communication modality and diagnostic category. Results We analysed 204 808 care contacts of 28 038 patients. The overall number of care contacts in the second quarter of 2020 remained the same as in the previous 2 years, because the number of video consultations significantly increased (B = 2.17, P = 0.488 × 10−3) as the number of face-to-face out-patient contacts significantly decreased (B = −0.98, P = 0.011). This was true for all different diagnostic categories, although this change was less pronounced in patients with psychotic disorders. Conclusions Diminished face-to-face out-patient contacts were well-compensated by the substantial increase of video consultations during the first COVID-19 outbreak in The Netherlands. This increase was less pronounced for psychotic disorders. Further research should elucidate the need for disorder-specific digital mental healthcare delivery.

Author(s):  
Jane M Burns ◽  
Tracey A Davenport ◽  
Lauren A Durkin ◽  
Georgina M Luscombe ◽  
Ian B Hickie

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelia Martin ◽  
Eleanor Nuzum ◽  
Matthew Broadbent ◽  
Robert Stewart

AbstractThe lockdown and social distancing policy imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have had a widespread impact on mental healthcare service provision and use. Previous reports from the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM; a large mental health service provider for 1.2m residents in South London) highlighted a shift to virtual contacts among those accessing community mental health and home treatment teams and an increase in deaths over the pandemic’s first wave. However, there is a need to quantify this for individuals with particular vulnerabilities, including those with learning disabilities and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Taking advantage of the Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) data resource with 24-hourly updates of electronic mental health records data, this paper describes daily caseloads and contact numbers (face-to-face and virtual) for individuals with potential neurodevelopmental disorders across community, specialist, crisis and inpatient services. The report focussed on the period 1st January to 31st July 2020. We also report on daily accepted and discharged trust referrals, total trust caseloads and daily inpatient admissions and discharges for individuals with potential neurodevelopmental disorders. In addition, daily deaths are described for all current and previous SLaM service users with potential neurodevelopmental disorders over this period. In summary, comparing periods before and after 16th March 2020 there was a shift from face-to-face contacts to virtual contacts across all teams. The largest declines in caseloads and total contacts were seen in Home Treatment Team, Liaison/A&E and Older Adult teams. Reduced accepted referrals and inpatient admissions were observed and there was an 103% increase in average daily deaths in the period after 16th March, compared to the period 1st January to 15th March (or a 282% increase if the 2-month period from 16th March to 15th May was considered alone).


BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. e022647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Ruth Saunders ◽  
Michael Lebenbaum ◽  
Hong Lu ◽  
Therese A Stukel ◽  
Marcelo Luis Urquia ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo describe trends in mental health service use of youth by immigration status and characteristics.DesignPopulation-based longitudinal cohort study from 1996 to 2012 using linked health and administrative datasets.SettingOntario, Canada.ParticipantsYouth 10–24 years, living in Ontario, Canada.ExposureThe main exposure was immigration status (recent immigrants vs long-term residents). Secondary exposures were region of origin and refugee status.Main outcome measureMental health hospitalisations, emergency department (ED) visits and outpatient visits within consecutive 3-year time periods. Poisson regression models estimated rate ratios (RR).ResultsOver 2.5 million person years per period were included. Rates of recent immigrant mental health service utilisation were at least 40% lower than long-term residents (p<0.0001).Mental health hospitalisation and ED visit rates increased in long-term residents (hospitalisations, RR 1.09 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.09); ED visits, RR 1.15 (1.14 to 1.15)) and recent immigrants (hospitalisations RR 1.05 (1.03 to 1.07); ED visits, RR 1.08 (1.05 to 1.11)). Mental health outpatient visit rates increased in long-term residents (RR 1.03 (1.03 to 1.03)) but declined in recent immigrant (RR 0.94 (0.93 to 0.95)). Comparable divergent trends in acute care and outpatient service use were observed among refugees and across most regions of origin. Recent immigrant acute care use was driven by longer-term refugees (hospitalisations RR 1.12 (1.03 to 1.21); ED visits RR 1.11 (1.02 to 1.20)).ConclusionsMental health service utilisation was lower among recent immigrants than long-term residents. While acute care use is increasing at a faster rate among long-term residents than recent immigrants, the decrease in outpatient mental health visits in immigrants highlights a potential emerging disparity in access to preventative care.


Author(s):  
Saleha Shafie ◽  
Mythily Subramaniam ◽  
Edimansyah Abdin ◽  
Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar ◽  
Rajeswari Sambasivam ◽  
...  

Abstract This study aimed to establish lifetime mental health service utilisation among the general population of Singapore. The sociodemographic correlates of those seeking help from different service provider groups and changes in lifetime mental health service utilisation between 2010 and 2016 among those with mental disorders were also explored. A population-based cross-sectional epidemiological household survey of the Singapore resident population aged 18 years and above was conducted from 2016 to 2018, using the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) version 3.0. Data from two cross-sectional population-based studies were used for comparison of lifetime mental health service utilisation in 2010 (n = 6616) and 2016 (n = 6126). Chi square test and multiple logistic regression were used to analyse the data. A total of 6126 respondents completed the study in 2016. Overall 9.3% of the total sample, 32.0% of those with mental disorders, and 5.7% of those not meeting criteria for mental disorders, ever sought help for their mental health issues in their lifetime, from any treatment service sectors. Several sociodemographic characteristics were found to be correlated with different service provider groups. There was no change in mental health service utilisation between 2010 and 2016 for all mental disorders included in this study, with the exception of a significant increase in help sought from professionals in social services, among those with alcohol abuse. Even though the overall help-seeking rates are low, it is encouraging that those seeking help did so from mental health professionals and professionals working in the social services.


Author(s):  
Robert Stewart ◽  
Evangelia Martin ◽  
Matthew Broadbent

AbstractThe lockdown and social distancing policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK has a potentially important impact on provision of mental healthcare; however, there has been relatively little quantification of this. Taking advantage of the Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) data resource with 24-hourly updates of electronic mental health records data, this paper describes daily caseloads and contact numbers (face-to-face and virtual) for home treatment teams (HTTs) and working age adult community mental health teams (CMHTs) from 1st February to 15th May 2020 at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM), a large mental health service provider for 1.2m residents in south London. In addition daily deaths are described for all current and previous SLaM service users over this period and the same dates in 2019. In summary, comparing periods before and after 16th March 2020 the CMHT sector showed relatively stable caseloads and total contact numbers, but a substantial shift from face-to-face to virtual contacts, while HTTs showed the same changeover but reductions in caseloads and total contacts (although potentially an activity rise again during May). Number of deaths for the two months between 16th March and 15th May were 2.4-fold higher in 2020 than 2019, with 958 excess deaths.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document