The impact of the COVID epidemic in psychosomatic and liaison psychiatry units in Spain: A national enquiry

Abstract

[EN]Negative psychological effects of the Covid pandemic in the general population [ 1 , 2 ], and the neuropsychiatric complications of Covid patients [ 345 ] were reported at an early stage of the disease. Similarly, negative emotional consequences of the pandemic in medical staff of hospitals and medical clinics have been described [ 6 , 7 ]. Negative consequences of COVID might also affect liaison psychiatrists because of potential stressors, including an increased workload, although a decreased number of consultations has been observed in some services [ 8 ]; and because of unusual clinical problems [ 9 ] or ethical dilemmas faced in critical situations.

The large psychiatric literature related to the Covid pandemic is not matched by the quality of the work reported, and national surveillance systems have been proposed in this context, to document the impact of the pandemic [ 2 ]. This paper reports the main findings of a national inquiry on the impact of the epidemic in Psychosomatic and Liaison Psychiatry Units (PLPUs) in Spain. We have previously reported the development of this discipline in the country [ 10 ]. In the light of previous, sometimes anecdotal reports and clinical experience, we expected to find evidence for an increase in workload; clinical problems for which the staff might feel unaccustomed; and the resulting negative emotional reactions and burn-out symptoms in the PLP team.