@article{ref1,
title="Audit of acute psychiatric presentations during New Zealand's first COVID-19 national lockdown",
journal="Australasian psychiatry",
year="2022",
author="Ng, Lillian and Narayanan, Nishanth and Diamond, Danielle and Pitigala, Niru",
volume="30",
number="2",
pages="223-228",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to identify service user demographic and clinical characteristics of an acute mental health service in South Auckland during the first New Zealand coronavirus-related lockdown. METHOD: We conducted a clinical audit of a sample of service users presenting to a district health board's acute adult mental health service during New Zealand's level-4 lockdown in 2020 and made comparisons to a sample from 2019. We identified demographic factors, living situation, mode of referral, mode of assessment, diagnosis, substance use, risks, stressors, use of mental health act legislation and follow-up. RESULTS: During the first level-4 lockdown fewer Ma¯ori were assessed, police referrals increased, specific stressors related to confinement were identified and there was an increase in risks relating to self-harm and harm to others. CONCLUSION: Service users had unique stressors and changing patterns of presentation during the level-4 New Zealand lockdown. In response to the changing needs of service users during a pandemic, we recommend optimising telehealth, enhancing connections with other essential services, development of digital interventions and care for frontline staff.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1039-8562",
doi="10.1177/10398562211052918",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10398562211052918"
}