The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Healthcare Utilization in Switzerland Was Strongest Among Young Females—Retrospective Study in 2018–2020
Objectives: To provide a thorough assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the utilization of inpatient and outpatient mental healthcare in Switzerland.Methods: Retrospective cohort study using nationwide hospital data (n > 8 million) and claims data from a large Swiss health insu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-05-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/ijph.2023.1605839/full |
| _version_ | 1797823762511429632 |
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| author | Yael Rachamin Yael Rachamin Levy Jäger Reka Schweighoffer Andri Signorell Caroline Bähler Carola A. Huber Carola A. Huber Eva Blozik Eva Blozik Erich Seifritz Thomas Grischott Oliver Senn |
| author_facet | Yael Rachamin Yael Rachamin Levy Jäger Reka Schweighoffer Andri Signorell Caroline Bähler Carola A. Huber Carola A. Huber Eva Blozik Eva Blozik Erich Seifritz Thomas Grischott Oliver Senn |
| author_sort | Yael Rachamin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: To provide a thorough assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the utilization of inpatient and outpatient mental healthcare in Switzerland.Methods: Retrospective cohort study using nationwide hospital data (n > 8 million) and claims data from a large Swiss health insurer (n > 1 million) in 2018–2020. Incidence proportions of different types of psychiatric inpatient admissions, psychiatric consultations, and psychotropic medication claims were analyzed using interrupted time series models for the general population and for the vulnerable subgroup of young people.Results: Inpatient psychiatric admissions in the general population decreased by 16.2% (95% confidence interval: −19.2% to −13.2%) during the first and by 3.9% (−6.7% to −0.2%) during the second pandemic shutdown, whereas outpatient mental healthcare utilization was not substantially affected. We observed distinct patterns for young people, most strikingly, an increase in mental healthcare utilization among females aged <20 years.Conclusion: Mental healthcare provision for the majority of the population was largely maintained, but special attention should be paid to young people. Our findings highlight the importance of monitoring mental healthcare utilization among different populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:28:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4b8f1f851f5c4155b5b4559e2f0910ae |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-8564 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:28:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-4b8f1f851f5c4155b5b4559e2f0910ae2023-05-19T04:11:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.International Journal of Public Health1661-85642023-05-016810.3389/ijph.2023.16058391605839The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Healthcare Utilization in Switzerland Was Strongest Among Young Females—Retrospective Study in 2018–2020Yael Rachamin0Yael Rachamin1Levy Jäger2Reka Schweighoffer3Andri Signorell4Caroline Bähler5Carola A. Huber6Carola A. Huber7Eva Blozik8Eva Blozik9Erich Seifritz10Thomas Grischott11Oliver Senn12Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandCampus Stiftung Lindenhof Bern (SLB), Bern, SwitzerlandInstitute of Primary Care, University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute for Clinical Research, Department of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandDepartment of Health Sciences, Helsana Group, Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Health Sciences, Helsana Group, Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Primary Care, University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Health Sciences, Helsana Group, Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Primary Care, University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandSWICA Health Services Research, Winterthur, SwitzerlandDepartment of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Primary Care, University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Primary Care, University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandObjectives: To provide a thorough assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the utilization of inpatient and outpatient mental healthcare in Switzerland.Methods: Retrospective cohort study using nationwide hospital data (n > 8 million) and claims data from a large Swiss health insurer (n > 1 million) in 2018–2020. Incidence proportions of different types of psychiatric inpatient admissions, psychiatric consultations, and psychotropic medication claims were analyzed using interrupted time series models for the general population and for the vulnerable subgroup of young people.Results: Inpatient psychiatric admissions in the general population decreased by 16.2% (95% confidence interval: −19.2% to −13.2%) during the first and by 3.9% (−6.7% to −0.2%) during the second pandemic shutdown, whereas outpatient mental healthcare utilization was not substantially affected. We observed distinct patterns for young people, most strikingly, an increase in mental healthcare utilization among females aged <20 years.Conclusion: Mental healthcare provision for the majority of the population was largely maintained, but special attention should be paid to young people. Our findings highlight the importance of monitoring mental healthcare utilization among different populations.https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/ijph.2023.1605839/fullmental healthCOVID-19health services researchpsychiatric careinterrupted time series analysisadministrative data |
| spellingShingle | Yael Rachamin Yael Rachamin Levy Jäger Reka Schweighoffer Andri Signorell Caroline Bähler Carola A. Huber Carola A. Huber Eva Blozik Eva Blozik Erich Seifritz Thomas Grischott Oliver Senn The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Healthcare Utilization in Switzerland Was Strongest Among Young Females—Retrospective Study in 2018–2020 International Journal of Public Health mental health COVID-19 health services research psychiatric care interrupted time series analysis administrative data |
| title | The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Healthcare Utilization in Switzerland Was Strongest Among Young Females—Retrospective Study in 2018–2020 |
| title_full | The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Healthcare Utilization in Switzerland Was Strongest Among Young Females—Retrospective Study in 2018–2020 |
| title_fullStr | The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Healthcare Utilization in Switzerland Was Strongest Among Young Females—Retrospective Study in 2018–2020 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Healthcare Utilization in Switzerland Was Strongest Among Young Females—Retrospective Study in 2018–2020 |
| title_short | The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Healthcare Utilization in Switzerland Was Strongest Among Young Females—Retrospective Study in 2018–2020 |
| title_sort | impact of covid 19 on mental healthcare utilization in switzerland was strongest among young females retrospective study in 2018 2020 |
| topic | mental health COVID-19 health services research psychiatric care interrupted time series analysis administrative data |
| url | https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/ijph.2023.1605839/full |
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