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. 2023 Dec;68(12):925-932.
doi: 10.1177/07067437231167386. Epub 2023 Apr 3.

Adult Psychiatric Hospitalizations in Ontario, Canada Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Bryan Tanner  1   2 , Paul Kurdyak  1   2   3   4   5 , Claire de Oliveira  1   2   3   4
Affiliations

Adult Psychiatric Hospitalizations in Ontario, Canada Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Bryan Tanner et al. Can J Psychiatry. 2023 Dec.

Abstract
in English, French

Objective: The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychiatric hospitalizations in Ontario are unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify changes to volumes and characteristics of psychiatric hospitalizations in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A time series analysis was done using psychiatric hospitalizations with admissions dates from July 2017 to September 2021 identified from provincial health administrative data. Variables included monthly volumes of hospitalizations as well as proportions of stays <3 days and involuntary admissions, overall and by diagnosis (mood, psychotic, addiction, and other disorders). Changes to trends during the pandemic were tested using linear regression.

Results: A total of 236,634 psychiatric hospitalizations were identified. Volumes decreased in the first few months of the pandemic before returning to prepandemic volumes by May 2020. However, monthly hospitalizations for psychotic disorders increased by ∼9% compared to the prepandemic period and remained elevated thereafter. Short stays and involuntary admissions increased by approximately 2% and 7%, respectively, before trending downwards.

Conclusion: Psychiatric hospitalizations quickly stabilized in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, evidence suggested a shift towards a more severe presentation during this period.

Objectif: Les répercussions de la pandémie de la COVID-19 sur les hospitalisations psychiatriques en Ontario ne sont pas connues. La présente étude a pour but d’identifier les changements des volumes et des caractéristiques des hospitalisations psychiatriques en Ontario durant la pandémie de la COVID-19.

Méthodes: Une analyse de séries chronologiques a été effectuée à l’aide des hospitalisations psychiatriques et des dates d’admission de juillet 2017 à septembre 2021, identifiées d’après les données administratives provinciales de la santé. Les variables comprenaient les volumes d’hospitalisation mensuels ainsi que les proportions des séjours de < 3 jours et les hospitalisations involontaires, en général et selon le diagnostic (troubles de l’humeur, psychotiques, de dépendance et autres). Les changements des tendances durant la pandémie ont été vérifiés à l’aide de la régression linéaire.

Résultats: 236 634 hospitalisations psychiatriques ont été identifiées. Les volumes ont diminué dans les premiers mois de la pandémie avant de revenir aux volumes pré-pandémiques en mai 2020. Cependant, les hospitalisations mensuelles pour des troubles psychotiques ont augmenté de ∼9% comparé à la période pré-pandémique et sont demeurées élevées par la suite. Les brefs séjours et les hospitalisations involontaires ont augmenté d’approximativement 2% et 7%, respectivement, avant de tendre vers le bas.

Conclusion: Les hospitalisations psychiatriques se sont rapidement stabilisées en réponse à la pandémie de la COVID-19. Toutefois, les données probantes ont suggéré une évolution vers une présentation plus grave durant cette période.

Keywords: COVID-19; mental health services; psychiatric hospitalizations.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Volumes of psychiatric hospitalizations in Ontario, Canada from July 2017 to September 2021, overall (A) and by diagnosis (B).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Proportion of psychiatric hospitalizations with stays <3 days in Ontario, Canada from July 2017 to September 2021, overall (A) and by diagnosis (B).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Proportion of psychiatric hospitalizations where admission was involuntary in Ontario, Canada from July 2017 to September 2021, overall (A) and by diagnosis (B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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