ArticleBJPsych open2021
Referral patterns for specialist child and adolescent mental health services in the Republic of Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with 2019 and 2018.
Article in BJPsych open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07399106 (EN-CAMHS 2), which is not on this map. Cited by 37 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
EN-CAMHS 2: Enhancing CAMHS Referrals
Who cites it
37 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Research Review: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children and young people with pre-existing mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions - a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines · 2025Pooled it
- Access and use of general and mental health services before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2025Pooled it
- Moderated Online Social Therapy (MOST) in Help-Seeking Young People: Pilot Randomized Controlled Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Stratifying the risk of transition to adult-onset psychiatric disorders in adolescents with anxiety.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on referrals and clinical activity in a child and adolescent mental health service in Qatar: a 3-year retrospective comparative analysis.BJPsych international · 2026Article
- Referral patterns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic to a child and adolescent mental health clinic in Gauteng, South Africa.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Understanding Participation in Integrated Youth Mental Health Service Research: Lessons Learned From a Feasibility Study With Jigsaw.Early intervention in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Article
- Resilience Factors and Their Association with Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms: An Intergenerational Perspective.Psychology research and behavior management · 2025Article
- Snakes and Ladders: The experience of being referred to and seen by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.SSM. Mental health · 2024Article
- Impact of COVID-19 on referrals to paediatric liaison psychiatry at Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin as the pandemic moved to endemic status.BJPsych open · 2024Article
- Eating disorders and COVID-19 - different or just more?Irish journal of medical science · 2024Article
- Children and young people's reported contact with professional services for mental health concerns: a secondary data analysis.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2024Article
- Epidemic preparedness and innovations in digital healthcare: enhancing post-pandemic speech-language pathology services for child and adolescent mental health in Qatar.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Article
- The ethicality of the COVID-19 response in children and adolescents.Irish journal of medical science · 2024Article
- A Qualitative Exploration of Prominent Factors Contributing to the Aetiology of Child and Adolescent Eating Disorder Presentations during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Perspectives of Patients, Parents and Clinicians.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Inequalities in children's mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from the UK Household Longitudinal Study.Journal of epidemiology and community health · 2023Article
- Mental health in clinically referred children and young people before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCountries worldwide are experiencing a third wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Government-imposed restrictive measures continue with undetermined effects on physical and mental health.
aimsTo compare child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) referrals over 11 months (January-November) in 2020, 2019 and 2018 and examine any impact the different phases of the COVID-19 restrictions might have on referral rates.
methodMonthly CAMHS Health Service Executive data were examined, covering a catchment population of 260 560 or 12.7% of all youth (age group 0-18 years) in Ireland. The total number of urgent and routine referrals, appointments offered, rates of non-attendances and discharge outcome are presented.
resultsThere was a significant drop in referrals in 2020, compared with prior years (χ2 = 10.3, d.f. = 2, P = 0.006). Referrals in 2020 dropped from March to May by 11% and from June to August by 10.3%. From September, both routine and urgent referrals increased by 50% compared with previous years (2018/2019), with the highest increase in November 2020 (180%). Clinic activity also increased from September, with double the number of out-patient appointments offered, compared with previous years (χ2 = 5171.72, d.f. = 3, P < 0.001) and lower (6.6%) rates of non-attendance (χ2 = 868.35, d.f. = 3, P < 0.001).
conclusionsIn 2020, following an initial decline, referrals to CAMHS increased consistently from September. Such unprecedented increase in referrals places further strain on services that are already underresourced and underfunded, with the likelihood of increased waiting lists post COVID-19. It is envisaged that once the pandemic is over, resources will be even more constrained, and CAMHS will be urgently in need of additional ring-fenced funding.
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