Authors:
- Fannol Shahini, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Department of Psychiatry, Rijeka, Croatia
- Klementina Ružić, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Department of Psychiatry, Rijeka, Croatia; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Rijeka, Croatia
- Tanja Grahovac Juretić, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Department of Psychiatry, Rijeka, Croatia; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Rijeka, Croatia
- Aleksandra Stevanović, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Department of Psychiatry, Rijeka, Croatia; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Rijeka, Croatia; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Health Studies, Rijeka, Croatia
- Fadil Habibović, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Department of Psychiatry, Rijeka, Croatia
- Elizabeta Dadić-Hero, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Department of Psychiatry, Rijeka, Croatia; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Rijeka, Croatia; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Health Studies, Rijeka, Croatia
Article type:
Original Scientific Paper
Abstract:
Introduction: The term anxiety implies a state of excessive fear and worry. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s daily lives and changed their previous way of life. The feeling of fear of getting sick and peer influence led to social isolation, while a person, as a social being, needs companionship in order to view anxiety symptoms more realistically, which would in turn lead to a better quality of life. Aim: The aim of this research was to examine the frequency of anxiety disorders at the emergency psychiatric outpatient clinic at the CHC Psychiatry Clinic in Rijeka in pre-pandemic 2019 and pandemic 2021. Respondents: The research includes patients who, due to anxiety disorders, sought help at the emergency psychiatric outpatient clinic at the CHC Psychiatry Clinic in Rijeka from 01/01/2019 to 31/12/2019 and from 01/01/2021 to 31/12/2021. Methods: Patients’ data were collected in a retrospective study through the Integrated Hospital Information System (IBIS) from the diagnostic group F40-F48 neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders (ICD-10). In addition to diagnosis and frequency of outpatient examinations, sociodemographic data such as age, gender, and employment status of the respondents were also collected at the emergency psychiatric outpatient clinic. Results: The obtained research results showed that there were fewer examinations in 2021 compared to 2019, that anxiety is more present in women than in men, and that the number of examinations did not change significantly regarding employment and age. Conclusion: The pandemic in 2021 led to a drop in the number of examinations compared to pre-pandemic 2019. Persons presenting with anxiety disorders are statistically significantly more often women in pandemic 2021 compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
Keywords:
anxiety, COVID-19, pandemic, stress