Observational studySocial psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology2022
Mid-term psychiatric consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic: a 4 months observational study on emergency room admissions for psychiatric evaluation after the (first) lockdown period in Italy.
Observational study in Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- 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 · 2026Pooled it
- The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Self-Harm: A Meta-Analysis.Alpha psychiatry · 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
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pediatric Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Retrospective Study at a Single Center for Child Neurology and Psychiatry.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Changes in the number and characteristics of tertiary hospital psychiatric admissions in south Croatia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective study.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- The Risk-Taking and Self-Harm Inventory for Adolescents: Validation of the Italian Version (RTSHIA-I).Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on self-harm hospitalizations in France: A nationwide retrospective observational study.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2022Observational
- COVID-19 and Youth Psychopathological Distress in Umbria, Central Italy: A 2-Year Observational Study in a Real-World Setting.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
14 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe aim of our study is to evaluate the number and the features of admissions to the emergency room (ER) requiring psychiatric consultation, in the period between May 4th and August 31st 2020.
methodsWe carried out a retrospective longitudinal observational study examining the 4 months following the initial lockdown imposed during the COVID-19 outbreak (May 4th and August 31st 2020). More specifically, the ER admissions leading to psychiatric referral were reviewed at all seven public hospitals of AUSL Romagna (Emilia Romagna region, Italy). Socio-demographic variables, history of medical comorbidities or psychiatric disorders, reason for ER admission, psychiatric diagnosis at discharge, and actions taken by the psychiatrist were collected.
resultsAn 11.3% (p = 0.007) increase in psychiatric assessments was observed when compared with the same period of the previous year (2019). A positive personal history of psychiatric disorders (OR:0.68, CI: 0.53-0.87) and assessments leading to no indication for follow-up (OR: 0.22, CI: 0.13-0.39) were significantly less frequent, while there was a significant increase of cases featuring organic comorbidities (OR: 1.24, CI: 1.00-1.52) and suicidal ideation/self-harm/suicide attempt (OR: 1,71, CI: 1.19-2.45) or psychomotor agitation (OR: 1.46, CI: 1.02-2.07) as reason for admission.
conclusionsOur results showed an increase in ER psychiatric consultations compared to the previous year, underlying the increased psychological distress caused by the lockdown.
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