Using machine learning to mine mental health diagnostic groups from emergency department presentations before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Discov Ment Health
; 3(1): 22, 2023 Nov 06.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37930489
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound negative effect on mental health worldwide. The hospital emergency department plays a pivotal role in responding to mental health crises. Understanding data trends relating to hospital emergency department usage is beneficial for service planning, particularly around preparing for future pandemics. Machine learning has been used to mine large volumes of unstructured data to extract meaningful data in relation to mental health presentations. This study aims to analyse trends in five mental health-related presentations to an emergency department before and during, the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS:
Data from 690,514 presentations to two Australian, public hospital emergency departments between April 2019 to February 2022 were assessed. A machine learning-based framework, Mining Emergency Department Records, Evolutionary Algorithm Data Search (MEDREADS), was used to identify suicidality, psychosis, mania, eating disorder, and substance use.RESULTS:
While the mental health-related presentations to the emergency department increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels, the proportion of mental health presentations relative to the total emergency department presentations decreased. Several troughs in presentation frequency were identified across the pandemic period, which occurred consistently during the public health lockdown and restriction periods.CONCLUSION:
This study implemented novel machine learning techniques to analyse mental health presentations to an emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results inform understanding of the use of emergency mental health services during the pandemic, and highlight opportunities to further investigate patterns in presentation.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Discov Ment Health
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article