Project #15:
Investigating how the prescribing of groups of medicines used to treat mental health of residents of carehomes has changed over the COVID-19 period

We will investigate how the prescribing of groups of medicines used to treat the mental health of residents of care homes has changed over the COVID-19 period. Residents have been more socially isolated given restrictions on visits from family and friends and trips outside the care home setting. There have also been high rates of death in care homes due to COVID-19, which may have affected the mental health of surviving residents and staff.

Given rates of depression, anxiety and stress are considered to have increased in the general UK population over the COVID-19 pandemic, we are interested in looking at how the prescribing of anti-psychotic and anti-depressant medicines to residents in care homes has changed over the COVID-19 pandemic and relative to the general population.