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. 2023 Mar;62(3):241-250.
doi: 10.1177/00099228221120288. Epub 2022 Aug 30.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Adolescents Presenting With a Psychiatric Emergency

Benjamin W Erjavac  1 , Alicia I Rolin  2 , Keerthi Gondy  3 , James A Cranford  2 , Ahmad Shobassy  1 , Bernard J Biermann  1 , Alexander J Rogers  2 , Victor Hong  1
Affiliations

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Adolescents Presenting With a Psychiatric Emergency

Benjamin W Erjavac et al. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2023 Mar.

Abstract

This mixed-methods survey study aims to describe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of a sample of 571 children and adolescent seeking psychiatric emergency care. The study was conducted from July to October 2020 at a large Midwestern academic center. Among the respondents, there were significant increases in mental health symptoms attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, including anxiety (71% of respondents), depression (66%), suicidal thoughts or behaviors (45%), and aggression (31%). There were significant differences in reported increases in symptoms by age and gender. In addition, 38% of participants reported that the pandemic led to a change or closure of their health care treatment, including mental health providers, with 22% reporting that reduced treatment access led to their emergency visit. Further research is indicated to assess other, more diverse populations, as well as the longer-term mental health impacts of the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic; Emergency Department; Mental Health; Pediatric Health; Suicidal Ideation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Percentage of respondents reporting symptoms increased secondary to COVID-19 pandemic by age.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Percentage of respondents reporting symptoms increased secondary to COVID-19 pandemic by sex.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Percentage of respondents reporting increased symptoms secondary to COVID-19 pandemic over time.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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