Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34038806›Full record

Observational studyPsychiatry research2021

Examination of the impact of COVID-19 public health quarantine measures on acute mental health care services: A retrospective observational study.

Nadine Nejati, Candice Crocker, Miroslava Kolajova, Jason Morrison, Patryk Simon, Sanjana Sridharan, Philip Tibbo

Open access · hybridAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Psychiatry research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Utilization of mental health services during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic - a systematic review and meta-analysis.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Nadine NejatiDepartment of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Mental Health and Addictions, Nova Scotia Health, Nova Scotia, Canada. Electronic address: nadine.nejati@nshealth.ca.
Candice CrockerDepartment of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Miroslava KolajovaDepartment of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Mental Health and Addictions, Nova Scotia Health, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Jason MorrisonDepartment of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Mental Health and Addictions, Nova Scotia Health, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Patryk SimonDepartment of Mental Health and Addictions, Nova Scotia Health, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Sanjana SridharanDepartment of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Mental Health and Addictions, Nova Scotia Health, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Philip TibboDepartment of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Mental Health and Addictions, Nova Scotia Health, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Dalhousie University · CANova Scotia Health Authority · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study assesses for the impact of Covid-19 public health quarantine measures on acute care psychiatric admissions, by comparing admission data from the quarantine period to a comparator period. A chart review was conducted for all admissions to an urban acute care psychiatric centre from Mar 22 - June 5 2020 (quarantine) and January 5 - Mar 21 2020 (comparator). Data was collected on the number of admissions, demographics, patients' psychiatric history, characteristics of admissions, discharge information, patients' substance use and social factors. Data was analyzed using a student's t-test for continuous variables and Chi squared analyses for categorical variables. Results demonstrated 185 admissions during quarantine and 190 during the comparator, with no significant differences in the distribution of admissions across time periods. There was a significantly greater frequency of admissions in the 35-44 age bracket and admissions involving substance use during quarantine. Additionally, admissions during quarantine were significantly shorter, with increased frequency of involuntary status and use of seclusion. The data suggests a vulnerability specific to individuals in their 30-40s during quarantine and demonstrates a need to better understand factors impacting this group. It also suggests that quarantine is associated with changes to substance use, potentiating high acuity illness requiring admission.

Indexed as

AdultAgedCOVID-19FemaleHospitalizationHumansMaleMental DisordersMental Health ServicesMiddle AgedNova ScotiaPublic HealthQuarantineRetrospective StudiesYoung AdultInpatientsMental disordersPandemicsPsychotic disordersSubstance related disorders

Identifiers

PMID34038806
PMCPMC8117541
OpenAlexW3160510014

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.