Those with psychiatric illness less likely to be tested, vaccinated than general population

Those hospitalized for psychiatric illness were less likely to be tested for COVID-19 and had lower confirmed infection rates but higher risk for COVID-19-related mortality than the general population, per a study from Molecular Psychiatry.

“Many authors have recommended prioritization of COVID-19 vaccination for people with severe mental illness, and some but not all studies reported lower rates of vaccination in persons with psychiatric disorders,” Nehama Goldberger, of the division of health information at the Ministry of Health in Israel, and colleagues wrote.

Goldberger and fellow researchers sought to compare rates of testing, infection, hospitalization, mortality and vaccinations for COVID-19 among those with a history of hospitalization for a psychiatric disorder to the general population of Israel.

The epidemiological study utilized several national databases to include a nationwide cohort of 125,273 persons, 28 years and older, who had ever been hospitalized with a psychiatric disorder before March 1, 2020, along with reported rates of testing, infection, hospitalization, mortality and vaccinations between March 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021.

Results showed that, compared with the total population, those with history of hospitalization for psychiatric disorders were less likely to be tested for COVID-19, 51.2% (95% CI, 50.8–51.7) vs. 62.3% (95% CI, 62.2–62.4) and had lower rates of confirmed COVID-19 infection, 5.9% (95% CI, 5.8–6.1) vs 8.9% (95% CI, 8.9–8.9). Among those infected, risks for COVID-19 hospitalization, COVID-19-attributed mortality and all-cause mortality were higher for the hospitalized cohort than the total population, (adjusted OR 2.10; 95% CI, 1.96–2.25), 1.76; (95% CI, 1.54–2.01) and 2.02; (95% CI, 1.80–2.28), respectively. Data additionally revealed these risks were even higher for hospitalized persons with non-affective psychotic disorders and bipolar disorder. Age-adjusted rates of vaccination were lower: 60.4% for the hospitalized cohort (95% CI, 59.9–60.8) vs. 74.9% (95% CI, 74.8–75.0) in the total population, and particularly low for those with non-affective psychotic disorders, 56.9% (95% CI, 56.3–57.6).

“These data call for public health measures to reach out to vaccinate these patients, many of whom do not come in to get vaccinated on their own accord,” Mark Weiser, MD, director of the psychiatric division at Sheba Medical Center in Israel and lead researcher of the study, said in a release that accompanied the study.

Reference:

• New population study on COVID-19 in patients with severe psychiatric illness reports lower rates of testing and vaccination, higher rates of hospitalization and death. Published April 25, 2022.