TY - JOUR
T1 - Provision of community mental health care before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
T2 - A time series analysis in Peru
AU - Villarreal-Zegarra, David
AU - Segovia-Bacilio, Piero
AU - Paredes-Angeles, Rubí
AU - Vilela-Estrada, Ana Lucía
AU - Cavero, Victoria
AU - Diez-Canseco, Francisco
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Background: A consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic was that the provision of mental health services was reduced in several countries around the world, while the demand for mental health services increased. Aims: Our study aims to determine any variation in the number of users served, health appointments, and care activities conducted at 58 Peruvian community mental health centers (CMHCs) between March 2019 and October 2021. Methods: Our study used an observational design and analyzed information from the care provided in CMHCs. We evaluate the number of users served, health appointments, and care activities performed per month. The main statistical analysis used segmented regression with Newey-West standard errors, taking into account each month of the evaluation. Results: We had 988,456 unique users during the period evaluated. Regarding diagnoses, 7.4% (n = 72,818) had a severe mental problem, 39.4% (n = 389,330) a common mental problem, and 53.2% (n = 526,308) others health problems. The study found a reduction in the number of users served and health care appointments at the 58 CMHCs in March 2020, the month in which the closure measures were declared to reduce COVID-19 infections in Peru. This reduction was followed by an upward trend in the three variables during the pandemic in the 58 CMHCs studied. In, November 2020, 9 months after the pandemic started, the deficit in the average number of users served per month was recovered. Conclusions: Our study suggests that CMHCs in the Peruvian system were able to regain care capacity approximately 1 year after the pandemic. In addition, we discuss the efforts made to respond to mental health needs in the context of a global health crisis.
AB - Background: A consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic was that the provision of mental health services was reduced in several countries around the world, while the demand for mental health services increased. Aims: Our study aims to determine any variation in the number of users served, health appointments, and care activities conducted at 58 Peruvian community mental health centers (CMHCs) between March 2019 and October 2021. Methods: Our study used an observational design and analyzed information from the care provided in CMHCs. We evaluate the number of users served, health appointments, and care activities performed per month. The main statistical analysis used segmented regression with Newey-West standard errors, taking into account each month of the evaluation. Results: We had 988,456 unique users during the period evaluated. Regarding diagnoses, 7.4% (n = 72,818) had a severe mental problem, 39.4% (n = 389,330) a common mental problem, and 53.2% (n = 526,308) others health problems. The study found a reduction in the number of users served and health care appointments at the 58 CMHCs in March 2020, the month in which the closure measures were declared to reduce COVID-19 infections in Peru. This reduction was followed by an upward trend in the three variables during the pandemic in the 58 CMHCs studied. In, November 2020, 9 months after the pandemic started, the deficit in the average number of users served per month was recovered. Conclusions: Our study suggests that CMHCs in the Peruvian system were able to regain care capacity approximately 1 year after the pandemic. In addition, we discuss the efforts made to respond to mental health needs in the context of a global health crisis.
KW - COVID-19
KW - interrupted time series analysis
KW - mental health
KW - Peru
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165241411&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/00207640231185026
DO - 10.1177/00207640231185026
M3 - Original Article
AN - SCOPUS:85165241411
SN - 0020-7640
VL - 69
SP - 1996
EP - 2006
JO - International Journal of Social Psychiatry
JF - International Journal of Social Psychiatry
IS - 8
ER -