| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2022 | Volume
: 8
| Issue : 1 | Page : 7-13 |
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Mental health outcome among psychiatric patients due to COVID 19 lockdown induced disruption of access to psychiatric services: A cross-sectional study
Shanti Mohan Kethawath, Shagufta Rahman, Venkata Rahul, Aditya Kashyap, Harish Pinnoju, Rajshekhar Bipeta, Umashankar Molanguri
Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Correspondence Address:
Prof. Rajshekhar Bipeta
Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad - 500 038, Telangana
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/tjp.tjp_3_22
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Background: COVID 19 lockdown has an impact on the mental health of the general population, COVID patients, and health professionals. However, knowledge about its impact on psychiatric patients is limited.
Objectives: To assess the mental health outcomes among psychiatric patients due to disruption of access to psychiatric services caused by the COVID 19 lockdown.
Materials and Methods: It was a single-center, cross-sectional, observational, pragmatic study conducted at a tertiary care psychiatric hospital. All consecutive psychiatric patients presented to review in the outpatient department for 3 weeks following the relaxation of lockdown were screened, and a total of 305 eligible patients were enrolled. A semi-structured questionnaire was applied to capture the mental health status of the patients.
Results: More than three-fourths (78.3%) of patients were off medications during the lockdown. During lockdown, more than half (64.3%) of patients' mental health conditions worsened, and significantly more in those who were not on medications. More than half of patients who were doing well before lockdown showed re-emergence of symptoms, and it was more commonly seen in mood disorder patients, followed by schizophrenia and other psychotic disorder patients. Thirty-one (10.1%) patients reported self-harm ideas; six (1.9%) claimed to have made self-harm attempts during lockdown.
Conclusions: COVID-19 lockdown has worsened the mental health status of psychiatric patients. Strengthening community-based psychiatric care in tie-up with telepsychiatry services and adopting new innovative measures may help face such eventualities in the future.
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