Association Between Co-Occurring Anxiety and Depression With Drug Overdose Encounters in the Emergency Department Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the Era of COVID-19

Abstract

PurposeCOVID-19 risk mitigation efforts could have negatively impacted anxiety, depression, and substance use among adolescents and young adults. MethodsWe analyzed 45,223 emergency department visits from April 2018 to March 2022 of patients aged 12–21 in Pinellas County, Florida. ResultsFrequency of overdose, anxiety, and depression significantly increased from the pre-COVID-19 to the COVID-19 period. Anxiety (adjusted odds ratio: 1.49, 95% confidence interval: 1.11, 1.98) and depression (adjusted odds ratio: 2.89, 95% confidence interval: 2.15, 3.88) were associated with significantly higher odds of overdose during COVID-19. DiscussionMental health and overdose among adolescents and young adults worsened during COVID-19, necessitating greater screening and treatment in primary care.