How COVID-19 Phases Have Impacted Psychiatric Risk: A Retrospective Study in an Emergency Care Unit for Adolescents

Dramatic events during the COVID-19 pandemic have acutely impacted the psychosocial environment worldwide, with negative implications for mental health, particularly for more vulnerable children and adolescents with severe psychiatric illnesses. Some data suggest that the pandemic waves may have pro...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Children (Basel) Vol. 9; no. 12; p. 1921
Main Authors:	Mucci, Maria, Lenzi, Francesca, D'Acunto, Giulia Maria, Gazzillo, Marisa, Accorinti, Ilaria, Boldrini, Silvia, Distefano, Giacomo, Falcone, Francesca, Fossati, Beatrice, Giurdanella Annina, Roberto, Paese, Silvia, Salluce, Carmen, Troiano, Irene, Fratoni, Cinzia, Fabiani, Deborah, Liboni, Francesca, Masi, Gabriele
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Switzerland MDPI AG 01-12-2022 MDPI
Subjects:	adolescence Antidepressants Child & adolescent psychiatry COVID 19 Health care access Intellectual disabilities Mental depression Mental disorders non-suicidal self-injuries Pandemics Pediatrics psychiatric emergency unit Psychotropic drugs Suicidal behavior suicidality Teenagers traumatic adverse events United States traumatic adverse events adolescence suicidality COVID 19 psychiatric emergency unit non-suicidal self-injuries
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	Dramatic events during the COVID-19 pandemic have acutely impacted the psychosocial environment worldwide, with negative implications for mental health, particularly for more vulnerable children and adolescents with severe psychiatric illnesses. Some data suggest that the pandemic waves may have produced different psychopathological consequences, further worsening in the second phase of the pandemic, compared to those in the first lockdown, soon after March 2020. To test the hypothesis of a further worsening of psychiatric consequences of COVID-19 in the second lockdown compared to the first lockdown, we focused our analysis on a consecutive sample of youth referred to a psychiatric emergency unit for acute mental disorders in the time period between March 2019-March 2021. The sample, consisting of 241 subjects (123 males and 118 females, ranging in age from 11 to 17 years), was divided into three groups: Pre-Lockdown Group (PLG, 115 patients); First Lockdown Group (FLG, 65 patients); and Second Lockdown Group (SLG, 61 patients). Patients in the SLG presented more frequently with non-suicidal self-injuries (NSSIs), suicidal ideation, and suicidal behavior, while no significant differences in self-harm were found between PLG and FLG. Eating disorders were more frequent in both the FLG and SLG, compared to the PLG, while sleep problems were higher only in the SLG. Furthermore, patients in the SLG presented with more frequent psychological maltreatments and neglect, as well as with psychiatric disorders in the parents. Adverse traumatic experiences and internalizing disorders were significantly associated with an increased risk of suicidality. Intellectual disability was less represented from the PLG to SLG, and similarly, the rate of ADHD was lower in the SLG. No differences were found for the other psychiatric diagnoses. This information may be helpful for a better understanding and management of adolescents with severe emotional and behavioral disorders after the exposure to long-lasting collective traumas.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	2227-9067 2227-9067
DOI:	10.3390/children9121921