RESUMO
Despite an increasing number of adults older than 60 years with psychiatric disorders, there are few studies on older patients in psychiatric emergencies and no European data. We aimed to describe the population of patients aged 60 years and older who presented to the main French psychiatric emergency centre and identify predictors of psychiatric hospitalization. This monocentric study included 300 consecutive patients aged 60 years and older. Patients presenting because of psychiatric emergencies were frequently female and lived autonomously. More than 40% had a history of at least one psychiatric hospitalization and 44% had consulted a psychiatrist in the previous 6 months. The most common reasons for consultation were depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and suicidal thoughts. Psychiatric disorders were mainly mood disorders; neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders; and schizophrenic, schizotypal and delusional disorders. Only 10% had a diagnosis of organic mental disorders. Overall, 39% of the patients were admitted to the psychiatric hospital. Factors predicting hospitalization were a history of psychiatric hospitalization, suicidal thoughts and a diagnosis of a mood disorder or schizophrenia/schizotypal/delusional disorder. In conclusion, among people aged 60 years and older who consulted for psychiatric emergencies, 39% had to be hospitalized in psychiatry and only psychiatric factors influenced the decision to hospitalize. Our study highlights the need for further studies of older people in psychiatric emergencies in Europe, to anticipate the needs of this specific population and adapt multidisciplinary mental health care.
Assuntos
Transtornos de Ansiedade/epidemiologia , COVID-19 , Serviços de Emergência Psiquiátrica/tendências , Tratamento Psiquiátrico Involuntário/tendências , Transtornos Psicóticos/epidemiologia , Encaminhamento e Consulta/tendências , Tentativa de Suicídio/tendências , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , França/epidemiologia , Hospitalização/tendências , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Transtornos do Humor/epidemiologia , Paris/epidemiologia , Psiquiatria , População Suburbana , População Urbana , Adulto JovemRESUMO
To date, we have no French data about the psychiatric consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and the confinement. In the largest French psychiatric emergency centre, we compared the average number of consultations per day during the confinement with the same period preceding the confinement and with the same periods of previous years, and we observed a significant drop in attendance. Our team had to adapt promptly to these changes in public mental health services, and we set up a telephone hotline dedicated to psychiatric patients and their families, in order to prevent a secondary psychiatric crisis.
