Descriptive study of mental health care users 12 months pre- and post-COVID-19 lockdown

South African Journal of Psychiatry

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Descriptive study of mental health care users 12 months pre- and post-COVID-19 lockdown
 
Creator Hlongwane, Noluthando A. Lowton, Karishma
 
Subject Psychiatry COVID-19; mental health; emergency department; pandemics; psychological distress; psychiatry
Description Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has impacted on a range of physical, mental and societal health indices. Increased levels of psychological stress are often reported following pandemics.Aim: To describe and compare the presentations of mental health care users pre- and post-initiation of the lockdown, with an emphasis on demographic profiles and final diagnoses.Setting: The study was conducted as a retrospective record review over the predetermined period at a large public hospital in Johannesburg and included all mental health care users requiring psychiatry consultation during the study period.Methods: Clinical records were traced via the emergency department registration desk, and information pertaining to demographics, presenting complaints, date of presentation and diagnosis was extracted.Results: A significant increase was seen in patients with psychotic disorders from pre-COVID-19 to post-COVID-19. There was a reduction in presentations of mood disorders and substance-related disorders. Patients presenting in the post-COVID-19 time period were significantly younger than in the pre-COVID-19 time period.Conclusion: Pandemics result in notable negative mental health sequelae. Policies aimed at mitigating the spread of infective agents should be implemented with consideration of the burden of psychological distress following the pandemic.Contribution: This study provides insights into clinical and demographic variables in a mental health care population serviced at a government hospital pre- and post-COVID-19 lockdown regulations.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2024-10-18
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Clinical record review
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v30i0.2301
 
Source South African Journal of Psychiatry; Vol 30 (2024); 6 pages 2078-6786 1608-9685
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2301/3593 https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2301/3594 https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2301/3595 https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2301/3596
 
Coverage Africa; South Africa; Gauteng; Johannesburg March 2019-February 2021 Emergency department adult mental health care users
Rights Copyright (c) 2024 Noluthando Angel Hlongwane, Karishma Lowton https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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