COVID-19 and the impacts on youth mental health: emerging evidence from longitudinal studies.

Nicholas Chadi,Marie-Claude Geoffroy,Natalie Castellanos Ryan

doi:10.17269/s41997-021-00567-8

Abstract

Several experts have warned that the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and associated confinement measures may have taken a devastating toll on youth mental health. While the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly created important challenges for children and youth, these claims vastly rely on cross-sectional data collected during the pandemic, from which it is difficult to draw firm conclusions. In this commentary, we offer a critical appraisal of the evidence from emerging longitudinal studies spanning the pre- and intra-pandemic period with a focus on internalizing and externalizing disorders, suicidality, eating disorders and substance use. We also discuss important research considerations in the monitoring of the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth mental health as well as promising interventions to help mitigate potential long-lasting consequences of this unprecedented public health crisis.

Highlights

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and associated confinement measures have created major disruptions in societal norms and public health infrastructure in Canada, and around the world
There is growing concern that social isolation resulting from these measures, combined with reduced access to mental health and support services within schools and community settings and fewer opportunities to engage in protective activities such as physical activity, may have detrimental short- and long-term effects on youth mental health and substance use (Marques de Miranda et al, 2020; Tsamakis et al, 2021)
This constellation of factors in addition to the fear of contagion and other social and economic concerns has created a “perfect storm” that could precipitate the onset of mental health disorders among youth or lead to worsening of pre-existing ones

Summary

Introduction

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and associated confinement measures have created major disruptions in societal norms and public health infrastructure in Canada, and around the world. Evidence describing changes in anxiety symptoms appears more mixed, with sources indicating either improvements in symptoms, no change or minor detriments in early stages of the pandemic (Barendse et al, 2021; Bignardi et al, 2020; Watkins-Martin et al, 2021; Widnall et al, 2020) These results may reflect differential impacts in specific populations, for instance in youth with pre-existing mental health conditions (Breaux et al, 2021; Shanahan et al, 2020). Administrative health records capturing medical service utilization (outpatient, emergency visit, hospitalization) for mental health reasons can be used and linked to existing cohorts to monitor some of the impacts of the pandemic on youth mental health from a health services research lens Another avenue can be to identify the intermediate pathways through which the pandemic can influence mental health, for example, studying the role of the loss of social connections on the likelihood of disordered eating symptoms among youth and across time. It will be crucial to consider impacts in representative, population-based samples and in youth with existing vulnerabilities, including personal and family history of physical and mental illnesses as well as other genetic, developmental and environmental factors, as large studies may miss significant effects in specific subgroups

Potential solutions

Conclusion

Solutions pratiques