Mental health in clinically referred children and young people before and during the Covid-19 pandemic

• DOI: 10.1007/s00787-022-02115-2
• Publication Date: 2022-12-17T04:27:56Z
• Authors: Kapil Sayal; Christopher Partlett; Anupam Bhardwaj; Bernadka Dubicka; Tamsin Marshall; Julia Gledhill; Colleen Ewart; Marilyn James; Alexandra Lang; Kirsty Sprange; Alan Montgomery
• Keywords: Pandemic; Depression

The Covid-19 pandemic and mitigation approaches, including lockdowns school closures, are thought to have negatively impacted children young people's (CYP) mental health. However, the impact for clinically referred CYP is less clear. We investigated differences in health of specialist Child Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) before since onset pandemic. Using baseline data (self- parent- completed Mood Feelings Questionnaire Strengths Difficulties Questionnaire) from an ongoing RCT (STADIA; ISRCTN: 15748675) England involving 5-17-year-olds with emotional difficulties recently CAMHS (non-urgent referrals), repeated cross-sectional comparisons (n = 1028) recruited during 5 different time periods: (1) Before schools were closed (Group 1 (pre-pandemic); n 308; 27.08.2019-20.03.2020). (2) Early period until fully re-opened, which included first national lockdown, its easing summer holidays 2 (in-pandemic); 183; 21.03.2020-31.08.2020). (3) following school-term-schools re-opened remained open, second lockdown 3 204; 01.09.2020-18.12.2020). (4) Schools as part third 4 101; 05.01.2021-07.03.2021). (5) 232; 08.03.2021-16.07.2021). Most scored above cutoff problems depression, three-quarters meeting criteria a probable disorder ('caseness'). groups did not differ on parent-rated measures. self-rated problems, functional impairment caseness appeared be higher amongst participants two periods re-openings. In particular, greater Group compared 2. Although symptom severity or change initial period, self-reported after re-opened. This suggests possible stresses adjustment re-starting recurrent closures.