https://doi.org/10.4081/ecj.2023.11000
Psychiatric ward admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canton of Ticino (Swiss Confederation) and the province of Como (Italy): a comparison between two different systems of care and outbreak response strategies
Submitted: 10 November 2022
Accepted: 1 February 2023
Published: 28 March 2023
Accepted: 1 February 2023
Abstract Views: 536
PDF: 216
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Authors
The aim of the study was to estimate the effect of the COVID- 19 pandemic and response policies on the psychiatric ward admissions in the hospitals referring to the ASST Lariana (province of Como, Italy) and the Hospital of Mendrisio (Canton of Ticino, Switzerland), two similar territories that belong to countries that dealt differently with the pandemic. We compared the two territories for type of admission (voluntary vs. compulsory), the Stringency Index (SI) and the country’s number of admission in Intensive Care Units (ICU). We found a significant reduction in the psychiatric ward admission in the lockdown period in both territories, even in periods with milder lockdown measures. The admission rate’s reduction in the ASST Lariana was significantly associated with the ICU admissions (p<0.001). In the Hospital of Mendrisio, admissions included a weekly seasonality, were significantly correlated with SI (p=0.001) and period (pre-pandemic and pandemic; p<0.001) and we observed also a significant reduction of compulsory admission that is influenced both by the stringency index (p<0.001) and period (p<0.001). The differences between the two territories seem influenced by the different mental health systems.
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How to Cite
Beghi, M., Alamia, A., Alippi, M., Colombo, R. A., & Fraticelli, C. (2023). Psychiatric ward admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canton of Ticino (Swiss Confederation) and the province of Como (Italy): a comparison between two different systems of care and outbreak response strategies. Emergency Care Journal, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/ecj.2023.11000
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