Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Outpatient Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service at a Tertiary Care Hospital of Pakistan

Qurrat Ul Ain Hamdan; Asad Tameezud Din Nizami; Zarnain Umar; Sara Afzal; Mahpara Mazhar; Saadia Yasir

doi:10.51253/pafmj.v73i3.8661

Authors

Qurrat Ul Ain Hamdan Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi Pakistan
Asad Tameezud Din Nizami Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi Pakistan
Zarnain Umar Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi Pakistan
Sara Afzal Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi Pakistan
Mahpara Mazhar Department of Psychiatry, AL Nafees Medical College, Isra University, Islamabad Pakistan
Saadia Yasir Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51253/pafmj.v73i3.8661

Keywords:

COVID-19, Child and adolescent mental health service, Child psychiatry, Pandemic, School closure

Abstract

Objective: to determine the impact of COVID-19 on mental health care service provision and the pattern of morbidity presenting to out-patient child psychiatry services in Pakistan.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, Rawalpindi Pakistan, Medical university, from Jan 2019 to Dec 2020.

Methodology: Hospital records for the years 2019 and 2020 were used to get data on the total number of Out-Patient Department (OPD) visits in both years, and Departmental OPD records were used to extract data on all new patients.

Results: Two thousand two hundred thirty-two OPD visits were recorded in 2019 versus 536 in 2020, a 76% decline. Eight hundred fifty-six new patients were seen in 2019 vs 259 in 2020. The detailed OPD record analysis revealed that the predominant age group reporting was adolescents in both years. 377(44%) patients reported with behavioural problems in 2019 vs 138(53.3%) in 2019. Pharmacological management plans were used in 138(16.1%) in 2019 vs 66(25.5%) in 2019. Common Diagnoses seen in both years were not significantly different, (p=0.087). OPD records were found to have an increase
in the “not mentioned category”, thus reflecting declined quality of record keeping.

Conclusion: The COVID-19-related lockdown and pandemic led to a sharp decline in out-patient visits and deterioration and record-keeping quality. The number of children and adolescents presenting with behavioural problems increased, but the common diagnoses remained similar.
Keywords: COVID-19, Child and adolescent mental health service, Child psychiatry, Pandemic, School closure.