Introduction: According to a survey carried out in 130 World Health Organization member countries, 93% of these revealed a disruption in their mental health care during the pandemic period. Our purpose is to study the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the visits to the psychiatric emergency department of a hospital center.  Methods: A retrospective study was designed to characterize the visits to the emergency department during a lockdown period of 2020 in comparison to the same period of 2019. These assessments were made according to socio-demographic aspects, assessment orders, diagnosis, suicide attempts and post-discharge destination. Results: There was a 54.7% reduction in the total number of visits to the psychiatric emergency department in 2020. No significant variation was found in the main municipalities of origin or in the age of the patients. The number of assessment orders was higher in 2020. The most common diagnostic classification was mood disorders (F30-F39, ICD-10 classification) in both years, with a decrease in cases by 70,5% in 2020. The rate of hospitalizations was maintained, with a trend to an increase of the compulsory hospitalizations. Conclusions: Although there was a decrease in the attendance to the psychiatric emergency department associated with the pandemic context, the response to serious clinical situations was guaranteed. Despite the risks associated with infection by SARS-CoV-2, it is essential to maintain the provision of mental health care.