COVID-19 and geropsychiatry: a retrospective study evaluating psychiatry referrals before and during the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic had widespread effects on mental health, but limited research has examined its impact on elderly individuals—a particularly vulnerable population. This study aimed to determine whether the pandemic period was associated with changes in psychiatric symptoms, diagnoses, and consultation patterns among adults aged 65 years and older. We hypothesized that the pandemic period would show a distinct distribution of psychiatric presentations compared to the pre-pandemic period. The records of people over the age of 65 treated in the Mental Health and Diseases Outpatient Clinic of Balıkesir University Health and Application Research Hospital between March 2019 and March 2020 (routine period) were compared with the records of the patients between March 2020 and March 2021 (pandemic period). Sociodemographic data, clinical diagnoses, indications for requesting consultations, and follow-up attendance rates were compared. A total of 336 inpatient consultation records and 982 outpatient applications from individuals over 65 years of age were analyzed. The majority of psychiatric consultations 57% occurred before the pandemic, while 43% were conducted during the pandemic period. Requests for consultations due to delirium and agitation increased during the pandemic (33.2 % vs. 45.9 %), while those for depressive and anxiety-related complaints declined (p=0.001). Depression remained the most common outpatient diagnosis in both periods (∼50%). However, the rate of attendance at second follow-up visits dropped significantly during the pandemic (62.7 % vs. 47.9 %, p<0.001). The COVID-19 pandemic affected psychiatric consultation patterns and service use among older adults. Increased agitation referrals and decreased follow-up attendance indicate the need for adapted care models during such periods.