SAFETYLIT WEEKLY UPDATE

We compile citations and summaries of about 400 new articles every week.
RSS Feed

HELP: Tutorials | FAQ
CONTACT US: Contact info

Search Results

Journal Article

Citation

Poyraz Fındık OT, Barin GG, Erdoğdu Yıldırım AB, Perdahlı Fiş N. Turk. Arch. Pediatr. 2023; 58(1): 80-88.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, AVES)

DOI

10.5152/TurkArchPediatr.2022.22166

PMID

36598216

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare pre/post-coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic changes in mental health-related visits to the pediatric emergency department.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all mental health-related pediatric emergency department visits to a tertiary general hospital between June and September 2019, 2020, and 2021. We described pre/post-coronavirus disease 2019 changes in the use of pediatric emergency departments, such as timing of visits, sex discrepancies, diagnostic distribution, discharge planning, and others.

RESULTS: Compared with the corresponding months before the pandemic (n = 187), mental health-related pediatric emergency department visits decreased by 20.8% in June-September 2020 (n = 148) and increased by 12.2% in 2021 (n = 210). The distributions of age, sex, timing of visits, reasons for presentations, hospitalization, and outpatient clinic appointment rates were not statistically significant between the years. Self-harm in females and aggression/violence in males were the most common reasons for presentation to pediatric emergency departments in each year. In the post-pandemic period, ambulance use and patients referred by other hospitals for psychiatric consultation increased, while the completion time of consultations decreased (P <.05). The frequency of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression decreased, but obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorders were more common in the post-pandemic period than in the corresponding months before the pandemic (P <.05).

CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic resulted in a significant change in mental health-related visits to the pediatric emergency department. Those in the groups with reduced visits may be at risk for delayed access to treatment for their mental and behavioral difficulties.


Language: en

NEW SEARCH


All SafetyLit records are available for automatic download to Zotero & Mendeley
Print