Pattern of mental health attendances at a metropolitan university general practice clinic in Sydney before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background and objective The aim of this study was to describe the pattern of mental health attendances in a university-based general practice clinic during phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has created social and medical disruptions to the Australian community. There is a literature gap pertaining to the ongoing trends that extend beyond the initial ‘first wave’ of the pandemic in the context of the Australian landscape. Methods Retrospective data were obtained from 435 adults attending a community university-based general practice in Sydney, Australia, during four time periods: T1, before the COVID-19 pandemic (1 February – 7 March 2019); T2, during the first COVID-19 lockdown (31 March – 4 May 2020); T3, during the second COVID-19 lockdown (20 August – 23 September 2021); and T4, after the end of the COVID-19 lockdowns (1 February – 7 March 2022). Attendances were identified as mental health Medicare Benefits Schedule codes for face-to-face, televideo and telephone consultations. Patterns of attendances were evaluated using frequency analysis. Results There was a decline in mental health attendances compared to all attendances at the general practice from T1 (7.5%) to T2 (4.8%). During T4, mental health attendances returned to 7.1% of all consultations at the general practice. Face-to-face attendances decreased by 50% in T2 relative to T1, and this trend was maintained in T3 and T4, whereas the utilisation of telehealth approached that of face-to-face by T4. Discussion Post-pandemic policies that support the use of telehealth in general practice may help improve mental healthcare delivery and outcomes.