HOW PHYSICAL MULTIMORBIDITY AFFECTED THE MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE UTILIZATION OF PATIENTS WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND EARTHQUAKES

Sarah Levaj¹Ivona Šimunović Filipčić^1,2*Sara Medved¹Laura Shields-Zeeman³Felix Bolinski³Filip Luka Mikulić⁴Martina Rojnić Kuzman^5,6

• ¹Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
• ²Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
• ³Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction (Trimbos Institute), Utrecht, Netherlands, Netherlands
• ⁴Emergency Medicine Department, Krapina-Zagorje County, Croatia
• ⁵University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
• ⁶School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Background: People with severe mental illness (SMI) commonly have chronic physical illnesses (CPI) and multimorbidity (CPM). The study aimed to investigate the association between mental health, healthcare utilization, and physical comorbidities in SMI patients affected by the double disasters in Croatia (two earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic), and identify predictors of CPI and CPM in this population.Method: A prospective study was conducted among 90 SMI patients at two-time points: May/June 2020 (first COVID-19 wave and earthquake) and December 2020/January 2021 (second COVID-19 wave and earthquake). Results: At the first study point, the CPM group showed significantly higher severity of insomnia (p=.003; mean ISI scores (SD): 5.60(4.360), 9.47(6.802), and 10.83(8.026) for no-comorbidity group, CPI and CPM respectively), while CPI group showed higher perceived stress levels (p=.026; mean PSS scores (SD): 18.21(6.882), 22.32(4.619) and 21.67(3.343) for no-comorbidity group, CPI and CPM respectively) compared to the no-comorbidity group. CPI (5/18) and CPM (10/23) groups visited other specialised non-mental health care services significantly more frequently than those without comorbidity (7/46) (χ2 = 6.557, p=.038). A lower score of perceived social support by friends predicted CPI (OR=0.549; 95% CI:0.349-0.864; p=.010, corrected p=.04), but a higher score on alexithymia subscale "difficulty identifying feelings" predicted CPM (OR=1.235; 95% CI:1.071-1.424; p=.002, corrected p=.004). Conclusion: People with SMI and CPI are especially vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic and disasters, as it affects their mental and physical health, leading to increased healthcare utilization. An integrated approach to treating SMI and CPI is necessary for the emergency health response.