Mental Health Symptoms and Service Use in Depressed and Anxious Minors at the Onset of COVID-19 in a County Clinic Serving a Predominantly Hispanic Population

TL;DR

This study examines how the mental health and service use of depressed and anxious minors changed during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in a clinic serving a mostly Hispanic population.

Contribution

The study provides insights into mental health symptom changes and service utilization patterns in minors during the onset of the pandemic.

Findings

Service utilization rates increased during the pandemic period.

Mood symptoms, suicidal ideation, and relationship conflicts predicted worsening psychiatric symptoms during the pandemic.

Sleep problems and physical health issues were linked to worsening mental health during the pandemic.

Abstract

Objective: The study's primary aim was to compare the utilization rates of services by minors with depression/anxiety in a county mental health clinic before (from December 1, 2019, to March 15, 2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (from March 16 to June 30, 2020). The secondary aim was to study demographics and psychiatric symptomatology.

Methods: Service utilization rates were estimated. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify significant predictors of worsening psychiatric symptoms, anxiety, and change in the frequency of therapy between the pre-COVID-19 period and the COVID-19 period.

Results: Service utilization rates increased during the pandemic period. During the pandemic, the presence of mood symptoms, suicidal ideation, and relationship conflicts predicted worsening psychiatric symptoms. In addition, the presence of preexisting sleep problems and physical health issues that continued during COVID-19 exhibited correlations with worsening psychiatric symptoms during COVID-19. COVID-related stressors and physical health issues were associated with anxiety; suicidal ideation predicted a change in the frequency of therapy.

Conclusions: Prospective studies to recognize risk factors for worsening mental health in minors with psychiatric illness during a crisis are warranted to identify and allocate services to the high-risk groups.

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