ADMISSIONS TO GENERAL HOSPITAL PSYCHIATRIC WARDS IN ITALY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY ON A CATCHMENT AREA OF 3.71 MILLION OF INHABITANTS

To evaluate differences in psychiatric hospitalizations in Italy during and a)er the lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic, compared to the same periods in 2018 and 2019. Anonymized data on psychiatric admissions (n = 4550) from 12 general hospital psychiatric wards in different Italian regions (catchment area = 3.71 millions of inhabitants) were analyzed. Using a mixed-effects Poisson regression model, we compared admission characteristics across three periods: (a) March 1–June 30, 2018 and 2019; (b) March 1–April 30, 2020 (i.e., lockdown); and (c) May 1–June 30, 2020 (i. e., post-lockdown). During the COVID-19 lockdown, there was a 41% reduction in psychiatric admissions in the enrolled GHPWs with respect to the 2018 and 2019 control period. Conversely, admission rates in the post-lockdown period were similar to those observed in the control period. Long-stay admissions (>14 days) increased by 63% during the lockdown and decreased by 39% therea)er. A significant 35% increase in patients reporting suicidal ideation was observed in the post-lockdown period, compared to the rate observed in the 2018 and 2019 control period (IRR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.01–1.79). Increased admission of patients reporting suicidal ideation in the post-lockdown period merits special a!ention.