Mental Health Day Hospitals and Lockdown Due to COVID-19 in Spain

Antonio José Sánchez-Guarnido; Valentina Lucena; Aurora Torrent; Laura Bosa; Virginia Martinez-López; Ana Cuartiles-Berenguer; Iolanda Batalla

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.769015

Mental Health Day Hospitals and Lockdown Due to COVID-19 in Spain

Front Psychol. 2022 Mar 10:13:769015. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.769015. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Antonio José Sánchez-Guarnido¹, Valentina Lucena², Aurora Torrent³, Laura Bosa³, Virginia Martinez-López³, Ana Cuartiles-Berenguer³, Iolanda Batalla³

Affiliations

¹ Santa Ana Hospital, Granada, Spain.
² Department of Psychology, Córdoba University, Córdoba, Spain.
³ Santa Maria University Hospital, Lleida, Spain.

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced changes in patient care in Mental Health Day Hospitals (MHDHs).

Objectives: To study the interventions performed in MHDHs during the pandemic in comparison with those performed in other facilities and to analyze the new hospital admissions in both groups.

Method: A retrospective multicenter cohort study comparing the interventions received by a group of 161 patients admitted in MHDHs during the lockdown period in Spain with the interventions of another group of 109 patients who were treated at other facilities during lockdown.

Results: MHDHs reduced their face-to-face interventions during lockdown just as much as other facilities but implemented telematic intervention methods to a greater extent. Patients attached to MHDHs during lockdown were admitted significantly less and presented fewer urgent consultations in the following 6 months.

Conclusion: The use of telepsychiatry made it feasible to adapt MHDHs to periods of lockdown, being useful to improve the continuity of care during the pandemic. In addition, it was possible to maintain a reduction in hospital admissions in patients treated at MHDHs.

Keywords: COVID-19; compliance; day hospital; mental health; social distancing.