Evaluación de necesidades provocadas por la COVID-19 en personas con trastorno mental grave

Abstract

Abstract: The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has revealed some deficiencies and associated risks in Community Mental Health Care for the most severe patients. The objective of this study is to analyze the needs in a sample of people with Severe Mental Illness during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Communities of Madrid, Valencia, Extremadura, and the Basque Country (in Spain). The Needs of Assessment (NCA) instrument and the Life Restriction Scale (ERVI) were used. The sample consisted of 669 people and 144 cohabiting family caregivers. The clinical problems most frequently encountered were anxiety, followed by slowness, low activity, and depression. In the area of skills and abilities, the most frequent problems were sleep structuring, community integration, time occupation, and cognitive ability. In the area of support, the main problem was the lack of a social support network. Regarding the degree of coverage, 71% of the clinical problems were covered. In the skills area, the percentage drops to 68% and in social media to 66%. It is concluded that it is necessary to reinforce Psychosocial Rehabilitation Programs to meet the needs of serious mental health patients. In addition, the care models should be adapted to ensure their continuity and permanence in periods of distance from the community.