Citation

Dragović M, Pascu V, Hall T, Ingram J, Waters F. Australas. Psychiatry 2020; 28(6): 627-631.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1039856220960673

PMID

32961096

PMCID

PMC7509241

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to high levels of psychological distress in the community. This study aimed to examine whether emergency departments (EDs) also recorded a rise in mental health presentations.
METHOD: Changes in the number, and type, of mental health presentations to Western Australia EDs were examined between January and May 2020, and compared to 2019.
RESULTS: Data showed an unexpected decrease in the number of mental health presentations, compared to 2019, which was temporally coincident with the rise in local COVID-19 cases. Presentations for anxiety and panic symptoms, and social and behavioural issues, increased by 11.1% and 6.5%, respectively, but suicidal and self-harm behaviours decreased by 26%.
CONCLUSION: A rise in local COVID-19 cases was associated with a decrease in mental health presentations to EDs. This has important implications for the planning and provision of healthcare services in the current pandemic.

Language: en

Keywords

Adult; Anxiety; Betacoronavirus; coronavirus; Coronavirus Infections; Correlation of Data; COVID-19; emergency department; Emergency Service, Hospital; Emergency Services, Psychiatric; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders; mental health; Mental Health; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; Psychological Distress; SARS-CoV-2; Western Australia