Résumé
Purpose COVID-19 and the resulting restrictions in daily living had society-wide impact on mental health, especially for people with mental disorders. So far, there is little evidence on how the pandemic impacted mental health care provision and perceived access to mental health care.Methods We present self-reported data on mental health and mental health service use comparing pre- and peri-pandemic conditions. Data was taken from an online survey promoted via leaflet and mailing lists with n = 189 individuals who at the time of the survey or before used mental health services. Responses were obtained between mid-July 2021 and mid-June 2022.Results Respondents were on average 34 years old, 83% were women, and the majority were university students. 38% of respondents regarded their mental illness as severe or very severe. Mental distress increased during the pandemic but returned to baseline after the end of the lockdown measures. One third (32%) of participants said that they delayed (26%) or avoided (6%) mental health treatment; 60% responded that access was restricted due to pandemic-related regulations.Conclusion People with mental disorders suffered from decreased mental health during the pandemic. At the same time, they perceived restrictions in mental health care provision and tended to delay mental health treatment due to the COVID-19-related restrictions. This may result in a higher burden of disease following the pandemic.Trial registration The study that this research is a part of is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04336527, April 7, 2020, updated May 31, 2023, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04336527.