Trends in mental health referrals before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: retrospective population-based service evaluation in a single NHS trust

Key Points

• Increased mental health referrals occurred post-pandemic, highlighting unmet service demands.
• Referrals were significantly higher during the post-pandemic period compared to pre-pandemic levels.
• The assessment utilized a retrospective population-based approach using data from a single NHS trust.
• These findings suggest the need for better resource allocation in mental health services to cope with future demands.