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. 2022 Oct:316:114758.
doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114758. Epub 2022 Jul 30.

Increased symptom severity in adults and adolescents admitting to an inpatient psychiatric hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic

Danna Ramirez  1 , Katrina A Rufino  2 , Megan E Rech  1 , Edward Poa  3 , Michelle A Patriquin  4
Affiliations

Increased symptom severity in adults and adolescents admitting to an inpatient psychiatric hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic

Danna Ramirez et al. Psychiatry Res. 2022 Oct.

Abstract

While the negative effects of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) on general mental health are well-established, less is known about the impact on those with severe mental illness. Thus, this study examined symptom severity among psychiatric inpatients admitted prior to versus during the COVID pandemic. Self-reported anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), emotional dysregulation (DERS-SF), sleep quality (PSQI), nightmares (DDNSI), and suicidal ideation (SBQ-R) were examined in 470 adults (n = 235 admitted pre-pandemic) and 142 children and adolescents (n = 65 admitted pre-pandemic) at admission. Adults also completed measures of disability (WHODAS) and substance use (WHOASSIST). Adults admitted during the COVID pandemic reported significantly higher levels of anxiety [p < .001, partial η2=0.18], depression [p < .001, partial η2=0.06], emotion dysregulation [p < .001, partial η2=0.05], nightmares [p = .013, partial η2=0.01], and disability [p < .001, partial η2=0.04] compared to adults admitted pre-COVID. Levels of anxiety [p = .005, partial η2=0.05], depression [p = .005, partial η2=0.06], and sleep quality [p = .011, partial η2=0.05] were significantly higher among adolescents admitted during COVID compared to pre-COVID. The findings help identify areas of prioritization for future mental health prevention/intervention efforts for future disease outbreaks.

Keywords: Adolescent; Adult; COVID-19; Inpatient; Mental health; Psychiatry.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest No authors have conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Differences in outcomes at admission pre-pandemic vs. during-pandemic for adolescent and adult samples. The substance use and disability assessment are only completed by the adult sample. Clinical cut-off scores are included.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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