Influence of post-COVID-19 deconfinement on psychiatric visits to the emergency department

During the deconfinement period after the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the number and characteristics of psychiatric visits changed in our emergency department (ED). We aimed to assess changes in the number of visits and characterize the profiles of these patients.

In this retrospective observational study, we examined the number of psychiatric ED visits and their proportion among the total number of ED visits. We also evaluated psychiatric visits characteristics during a one-month period after the declaration of deconfinement, and we compared those characteristics to characteristics observed during the same month over the previous 4 years.

The number of psychiatric visits to our emergency department during deconfinement was similar to the number observed in the same month of previous years. However, the proportion of psychiatric visits to our emergency department among all visits to the ED rose during deconfinement to a level never before observed. The mean proportion of psychiatric admissions to all ED admissions rose from 3.5% in past years to 5.3% during deconfinement (p = 0.013). Moreover, during deconfinement, more visits (80%) were without an acute intoxication compared to past years (58.5%; p = 0.031). Also, in the deconfinement period, more visits lacked a follow-up consultation organized at discharge (40%) compared to the historical period (25%, p = 0.036).

The deconfinement period after the first wave COVID-19 changed the number and type of psychiatric emergency medicine consultations at our hospital, suggesting a psychiatric impact of confinement during this pandemic. These findings will be of interest to practitioners and politicians in the coming months.