Marie E Heffernan, Carly G Menker, Ashley Keese, Anne Bendelow, Mia Casale, Colleen Cicchetti, Lauren S Wakschlag, Matthew M Davis, Michelle L Macy
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: Youth mental health was declining before the COVID-19 pandemic and worsened during the pandemic, yet less is known for the post-pandemic period. We examined parents' reports of youth mental health between 2022-2024.
Methods: We administered serial cross-sectional surveys to four independent samples of Illinois parents in 6/2022, 5/2023, 10/2023, 3/2024, in English and Spanish, through the QualtricsXM panel (convenience sample of adults who agree to take surveys). Parents read a list of 14 youth mental health symptoms and indicated, for one randomly selected 2-17 year-old child, if the child experienced each symptom less often, the same amount, or more often than a year ago; or never. Parents indicated their own stress levels.
Results: At each timepoint, symptoms of irritability were most commonly reported, with different expression across developmental periods: tantrums in early childhood; easy frustration in school-age children. Approximately half of parents reported their child experienced >=1 mental health symptom more often at each timepoint (6/2022: 49.7%, 5/2023: 51.6%, 10/2023: 53.9%, 3/2024: 48.7%). Multivariable logistic regressions indicated parent stress was associated with higher odds of the child having >=1 mental health symptom more often (6/2022 aOR:3.37, 5/2023 aOR:2.07, 10/2023 aOR:1.76, 3/2024 aOR:3.31).
Conclusions: At four survey timepoints over two years, approximately half of 2-17 year-old youth experienced mental health symptoms more often than they had before. This was most evident via transdiagnostic irritability symptoms. Screening for mental health, beginning in toddlerhood, and preventive interventions for parents and youth are potential mechanisms to mitigate the youth mental health crisis.
期刊介绍：
Academic Pediatrics, the official journal of the Academic Pediatric Association, is a peer-reviewed publication whose purpose is to strengthen the research and educational base of academic general pediatrics. The journal provides leadership in pediatric education, research, patient care and advocacy. Content areas include pediatric education, emergency medicine, injury, abuse, behavioral pediatrics, holistic medicine, child health services and health policy,and the environment. The journal provides an active forum for the presentation of pediatric educational research in diverse settings, involving medical students, residents, fellows, and practicing professionals. The journal also emphasizes important research relating to the quality of child health care, health care policy, and the organization of child health services. It also includes systematic reviews of primary care interventions and important methodologic papers to aid research in child health and education.
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