@article{ref1,
title="The impact of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on patients who attend a pediatric emergency department for mental health issues",
journal="Andes pediatrica : revista Chilena de pediatría",
year="2023",
author="Merino-Hernández, Amaia and Jové-Blanco, Ana and Palacios-Bermejo, Andrea and Rodríguez-Represa, Javier and Ferrero García-Loygorri, Clara and Vázquez-López, Paula",
volume="94",
number="2",
pages="219-226",
abstract="The lockdown during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the effect of the virus on the population could be a precipitating factor for mental health disorders in the pediatric population.   OBJECTIVE: To compare the reasons for consultation, diagnoses at discharge, and admission and re-consultation rates of pediatric patients attending the Emergency Department due to mental health disorders before and after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic lockdown.   PATIENTS AND METHOD: Retrospective, descriptive study. Patients under 16 years of age consulting due to mental health-related disorders during the pre- (07/01/2018-07/01/2019) and post-lockdown (07/01/2020-07/01/2021) periods were included. The frequency of mental health diagnoses, need for drug administration, hospitalization, and reconsultations were compared.   RESULTS: 760 patients were included, 399 pre-lockdown and 361 postlockdown. After the lockdown, there was a 45.7% increase in the frequency of mental health-related consultations with respect to the total number of emergency consultations. Behavioral alterations were the most frequent reason for consultation in both groups (34.3% vs. 36.6%, p = 0.54). In the post-lockdown period, consultations related to self-harm attempts (16.3% vs. 24.4%, p < 0.01) and the diagnosis of depression (7.5% vs. 18.5%, p < 0.01) increased significantly. There was an increase of 58.8% in patients who were hospitalized with respect to the total number of ED patients (0.17% vs. 0.27%, p = 0.003) and in the number of re-consultations (12% vs. 17.8%, p = 0.026). No differences were observed in days of hospitalization (7 days [IQR 4-13] vs. 9 days [IQR 9-14], p0.45).   CONCLUSION: In the post-lockdown period, the proportion of pediatric patients presenting to the ED with mental health disturbances increased.<p /> <p>Language: es</p>",
language="es",
issn="2452-6045",
doi="10.32641/andespediatr.v94i2.4471",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.32641/andespediatr.v94i2.4471"
}