Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consultation-liaison activity: changes in everyday clinical practice and work-related factors associated with the psychiatrist's need for seeking help.

BACKGROUND

Since the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP) services were in first line to face the effects of the novel virus.

AIM: Aim of this study was to assess the activity of CLP services during the pandemic, and to identify specific work features associated with the need for psychological/psychiatric support by the CL psychiatrist during the pandemic.

METHODS

This study was carried out in six European countries. A questionnaire was developed to collect information concerning psychiatric referrals for patients affected and not affected by COVID-19. Multivariate binary logistic regressions were used to study work-related factors associated with the need for psychological and/or psychiatric support by the CL psychiatrist during the pandemic.

RESULTS

The sample included 108 psychiatrists working in CLP services in six countries. The majority reported that the pandemic had not impacted on their work with non-COVID-19 patients. Among patients affected by COVID-19, the most common psychiatric diagnoses were anxious-depressive disorders related to COVID-19, delirium due to COVID-19, anxious-depressive disorders unrelated to COVID-19, suicidal ideation related to COVID-19. The 25% of psychiatrists reported having needed psychological or psychiatric support during the pandemic due to assisting COVID-19-positive patient. The need for support was associated with increased age, few years of medical experience and experience of anxiety while consulting COVID-19-positive patients. The risk was reduced using personal protective equipment and teleconsulting.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings prompt to the need of addressing health issues of health care professionals, namely psychiatrists working in the field of CLP and psychosomatics.