Publication date: Jul 01, 2025

To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions for psychiatric disorders, with a focus on the patients’ socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and/or the diagnostic group and type of admission. Open cohort of individuals aged ≥ 10 years resident for at least two years in one of three large areas of Italy, covering about 6 million inhabitants (nearly 10% of the entire population). The outcome was the first admission for a psychiatric disorder (First Mental Health Admission: FMHA) during the study period (January 2018-December 2021). Municipality of residence, sex, census tract deprivation index, citizenship, type of admission and the diagnostic group were considered as covariates of interest. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) of FMHAs were estimated via an interrupted time series (ITS) analysis using a step-change negative binomial model. Moreover, an ITS analysis was conducted on the monthly number of FMHAs to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the temporal trend of FMHAs. Of the 5,159,363 subjects enrolled, 11,171 had an FMHA in the study period. The incidence of FMHAs decreased after the outbreak of the pandemic, overall (from 0. 169/100,000 to 0. 147/100,000) and by sex, deprivation level and citizenship. Immigrants from high migration pressure countries (HMPCs) had a greater reduction in FMHAs during COVID-19 (IRR: 0. 91, p 

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