ArticleBMC psychiatry2026
The long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental and psychiatric service utilization in Iran: a 7-year longitudinal study from 2017 to 2024.
Article in BMC psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
introductionThe COVID-19 pandemic had extensive psychological and social impacts, including increased anxiety, depression, and mental health disorders. Social restrictions and reduced access to healthcare services have further exacerbated mental health issues. This study aims to investigate the immediate and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on utilization patterns of mental health services in Iran in March 2017–March 2024.
methodsThis study utilized longitudinal data on visits by patients with mental disorders to emergency, inpatient, clinic, and para-clinical departments in Fars Province, Iran. Data were collected on monthly basis for 35 months before the pandemic (March 2017 to February 2020) and 49 months after the pandemic (March 2020 to March 2024) from the Information and Statistics Office of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, covering all mental health facilities in Fars Province, Iran. After conducting a mean difference test, the Interrupted Time Series Analysis (ITSA) was used to examine the immediate and long-term effects of the pandemic on healthcare utilization among patients with mental health disorders. Data analysis was performed using Stata 17.
resultsITSA estimates showed that psychiatric patients’ visits to all four departments, emergency (ꞵ=-202.23), inpatient (ꞵ=-171.13), clinic (ꞵ=-5029.18), and para-clinical (ꞵ=-23.28), significantly decreased immediately after the outbreak. Conversely, visits to inpatient (ꞵ=4.39), clinic (ꞵ=13.41), and para-clinical (ꞵ=21.82) departments showed a significant long-term increase, with a steep upward trend in service utilization.
conclusionThe results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant long-term impact on mental health service utilization. In other words, the burden of mental health disorders has risen due to the clinical, economic, and social consequences of COVID-19, as well as the effects of related measures. Policymakers must respond promptly and effectively to future crises and pandemics to prevent disruptions in access to and utilization of mental health services. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
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