Symptom Trajectories of Youth in Live-In Treatment Facilities Before, During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

ABSTRACT COVID-19 and contagion mitigation efforts forced health care workers to very quickly develop and implement new policies aimed at reducing virus transmission. Such safety measures, while helping to reduce COVID-19 may result in decreased therapeutic effectiveness. We examined the impact of COVID-19, as well as several individual differences on the mental and behavioral health trajectories of 176 youths residing in several live-in treatment centers (M age = 15.30 years). Longitudinal data were collected at Intake, Discharge and 6-months post treatment, with timepoints spanning before and after COVID-19 lockdown. We observed an interaction between COVID-19 and prior substance use; youth who reported drug or alcohol use in the 30 days prior to Intake had worse treatment trajectories compared to those without prior use, but only when treatment started before lockdown mandates were implemented. For youth who entered treatment after lockdown had started, there was no difference in treatment outcomes between those with and without prior substance use. We also found an effect of family functioning whereby youth with more adaptive family functioning had better treatment trajectories. Practical implications are discussed.