Trends in ED visits for mental health, substance abuse, violence during COVID-19 pandemic

Editor's Note

This study by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that the COVID-19 pandemic mitigation measures and social and economic impacts affected the rate of emergency department (ED) visits for patients with mental health, substance abuse, and violence issues.

 Total ED visits decreased after COVID-19 mitigation measures were implemented March 16, 2020. However, beginning the week of March 22-28, 2020, ED visits began increasing.

This analysis of nearly 190 million ED visits finds that visit rates for mental health conditions, suicide attempts, all drug and opioid overdoses, intimate partner violence, and child abuse and neglect were higher mid-March through October 2020, compared to the same period in 2019.

The findings suggest that fear and worry combined with implementation of mitigation measures and resultant social isolation and economic distress have markedly impacted mental health conditions, suicide attempts, drug overdoses, and violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers say.