Psychiatric hospitalizations among adolescents during the pandemic in Italy: a retrospective study.

Abstract

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted child and adolescent mental health. The study outcome was the evaluation of the pandemic impact on adolescents' hospitalizations in an acute psychiatric ward.

Methods: With an observational and retrospective design, we collected selected variables among adolescents hospitalized in an acute psychiatric ward from 01/07/2017 to 30/06/2022. Data were statistically processed.

Results: Our sample consisted of 118 minors with an average age of 15.7 ± 1.2 SD, mostly represented by females (61 %) and Italians (60.2 %), who made 204 hospitalizations in the study period. The admissions by years drastically decreased in 2020 concomitantly with the lockdown and increased in the first half of 2022. The admission rate was higher in winter and spring, except in 2020 when all admissions decreased (p=0.000). Females more frequently were hospitalized for suicidal behavior and acute anxiety (p=0.000) and were discharged with acute stress reactions, eating disorders, and mood disorder diagnoses (p=0.000). Differently, males more frequently were hospitalized for aggressive behavior (p=0.000) and discharged with ADHD diagnosis (p=0.000). At multiple linear regression, the duration of hospitalization (dependent variable) was negatively associated with "the pandemic period" (p=0.017) and "absent aggressive behavior" (p=0.003), and positively with "autism" diagnosis (p=0.000).

Conclusions: We highlighted the more stressful impact of COVID-19 pandemic on female adolescents, who required more frequently psychiatric hospitalizations due to suicidal behavior, anxiety and mood disorders.