Abstract
Youth mental health is a rapidly developing field with a focus on prevention, early identification, treatment innovation and service development. In this perspective piece, we discuss the effects of COVID-19 on young people's mental health. The psychosocial effects of COVID-19 disproportionately affect young people. Both immediate and longer-term factors through which young people are affected include social isolation, changes to the delivery of therapeutic services and almost complete loss of all structured occupations (school, work and training) within this population group. Longer-term mechanisms include the effects of the predicted recession on young people's mental health. Opportunities within this crisis exist for service providers to scale up telehealth and digital services that may benefit service provision for young people's mental health in the future.
Highlights
Mental disorders are the largest cause of years lived with disability worldwide (Whiteford et al 2015)
Up to 80% of mental disorders first occur before the age of 26 (Caspi et al 2020; Kessler et al 2005)
Earlier age of onset of mental disorder is associated with increased risks of development of comorbidity and persistence of mental health disorder to midlife (Caspi et al 2020)
Summary
Youth mental health is a rapidly developing field with a focus on prevention, early identification, treatment innovation and service development. In this perspective piece, we discuss the effects of COVID-19 on young people’s mental health. Longer-term mechanisms include the effects of the predicted recession on young people’s mental health. Opportunities within this crisis exist for service providers to scale up telehealth and digital services that may benefit service provision for young people’s mental health in the future.
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