ABSTRACT
Objective: In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic on the services in Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) and on the patients followed up by the CMHC. In this direction, the clinical data of the patients and CMHC services were compared with the same period of the previous year. Method: Three CMHCs' data within the first three months following the first COVID-19 case report in Turkey (11.03.2020- 11.06.2020) were compared with the same period of the previous year retrospectively. Sociodemographic data, the number of admissions to the emergency psychiatry outpatient clinic, and the number of admissions to the psychiatry service of 2008 patients followed-up by CMHC were recorded as well as clinical parameters of inpatients and the quantitative values of the services provided by CMHCs. Results: The number of patients presenting to the emergency psychiatry outpatient clinic and admission to the inpatient psychiatry unit significantly decreased in the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.001). While a narrowing was observed in psychiatric hospitalization indications, face-to-face CMHC services decreased. Conclusion: The COVID-19 outbreak has created difficulties in preventing and treating COVID- 19 infection in individuals with severe mental illness, as well as difficulties in safely handling patients' existing mental illnesses. Considering the experiences from the early period of the pandemic, for current and future needs, the continuity of CMHCs should be supported and efforts should be made to provide digital services such as telepsychiatry applications when necessary (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Turkish) Amac: Bu calismada COVID-19 pandemisinin baslangic doneminin, Toplum Ruh Sagligi Merkezler'indeki (TRSM) hizmetlere ve TRSM hastalarina etkilerinin belirlenmesi amaclanmistir. Bu dogrultuda, TRSM'de takip edilen hastalarin verileri ve TRSM hizmetleri onceki yilin ayni donemi ile kiyaslanmistir. Yontem: Turkiyedeki ilk COVID-19 vaka bildirimini izleyen uc ay icerisindeki (11.03.2020- 11.06.2020) uc ayri toplum ruh sagligi merkezinin ve bagli olduklari merkez hastanenin verileri retrospektif olarak incelenerek onceki yilin ayni donemi ile kiyaslanmistir. Takipleri bu merkezlerce yapilan toplam 2008 hastanin sosyodemografik verileri, acil psikiyatri poliklinigine basvuru ve psikiyatri servisine yatis sayilari, yatarak tedavi goren hastalarin klinik parametreleri yani sira TRSM'ler tarafindan verilen hizmetlerin niceliksel degerleri kaydedilmistir. Bulgular: Hastalarin acil psikiyatri poliklinigine basvuru ve psikiyatri servisine yatis sayilari pandeminin akut doneminde anlamli olcude azalmistir (p < 0,001). Yatis endikasyonlarinda daralma gozlenirken, yuz yuze verilen TRSM hizmetleri azalmistir. Sonuc: COVID-19 salgini, agir ruhsal rahatsizligi olan bireylerde COVID-19 enfeksiyonunu onleme ve tedavi etmedeki gucluklerin yani sira hastalarin mevcut ruhsal rahatsizliklarinin guvenli bir sekilde ele alinmasinda da zorluklar ortaya cikarmistir. Salginin erken doneminde yasanilan deneyimler dikkate alinarak mevcut ve gelecekteki ihtiyaclar icin TRSM'lerin sureklilikleri desteklenmeli ve gereginde telepsikiyatri uygulamalari gibi dijital hizmetlerin sunumu icin caba gosterilmelidir. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Pandemic is an epidemic that exceeds international borders and generally affects people around the world. In addition to economic and psychosocial problems, pandemic causes additional mental health problems such as anxiety, depressive symptoms, insomnia, anger, fear and denial. A pandemic is an epidemic occuring on a scale that crosses international boundaries, usually affecting people on a worldwide scale. The pandemic causes additional mental health problems such as anxiety, depressive symptoms, insomnia, anger, fear, and denial besides economic and psychosocial problems. However physical and mental health of medical staff is affected, who carry major responsibilities both socially and professionally. With this compilation, we aimed to emphasize the importance of the psychological needs of both healthcare workers and the community these days that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of the world. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Turkish) Pandemi gibi tum dunyayi etkileyen olumlere neden olan salginlarda, toplumun psikososyal, ekonomik ve fiziksel kayiplardan etkilenmesinin yanisira;topluma en onde ruhsal ve fiziksel hizmet sunan saglik calisanlari en cok etkilenen grup olmaktadir. Kuresel tehdit olusturan bu tur salginlar;toplumda endise, depresyon, olum kaygisi, yakinlarini kaybetme endisesi, belirsizlige tahammulsuzlik gibi psikiyatrik belirtilere, salgin nedeniyle karantina uygulamalarinin olusturdugu psikososoyal ve ekonomik gucluklere neden olmaktadir. Toplumun yanisira, tum toplumu sosyoekonomik ve ruhsal yonden etkileyen pandemilerde;buyuk olcude sosyal ve is sorumlulugu yuklenen saglik calisanlarinin ruhsal sagligi da etkilenmektedir. Bu nedenle yazimizda;2020 yilinda tum dunyayi etkisi altina alan COVID-19 pandemisininin, toplum ve saglik calisanlari uzerindeki ruhsal etkisini ve alinabilecek koruyucu onlemleri derlemeyi planladik. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We aimed to explore the impact of the preventive measures and partial lockdown to the psychiatric emergency department (PED) visits during COVID-19 pandemic in a mental health epicenter in Istanbul. METHODS: A total of 5839 patients admitted to PED during the lockdown period (LP) between March 30 and May 31, 2020, were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. Data of these patients were compared to those of patients in the same period in 2019 between April 1 and June 2, 2019 (non-LP). We also investigated the monthly number of PED visits and hospitalizations between March 1 and December 31, 2020, and compared it to the same period in 2019. RESULTS: The volume of PED visits and hospitalizations in LP decreased by 12% and 41.6%, respectively. The rates of patients presenting anxiety and depressive disorders and bipolar disorders were found to significantly increase in LP than non-LP (p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.01, respectively). Depressive disorders, prior history of mental illness, and aggressive behavior were found to predict frequent PED visits while decrease in age and male gender found to predict hospitalizations. Regarding suicide attempt, younger patients and those with new-onset mental disorders were found to be at high risk in LP. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in PED visits were mostly with psychotic and bipolar disorders. CONCLUSION: Policy-makers should focus on studies on mental health services to reorganize and enhance such services, which are crucial to prevent and manage adverse mental health consequences of the pandemic and congestion in PEDs.