Abuse, Mental State, and Health Factors Pre and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison among Clinically Referred Adolescents in Ontario, Canada

Shannon L. Stewart, Ashley Toohey, Angela Celebre and Jeff W. Poss
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Shannon L. Stewart: Faculty of Education, Western University, London, ON N6G 1G7, Canada
Ashley Toohey: Faculty of Education, Western University, London, ON N6G 1G7, Canada
Angela Celebre: Faculty of Education, Western University, London, ON N6G 1G7, Canada
Jeff W. Poss: Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G5, Canada

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-11

Abstract: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, population surveys revealed increased levels of anxiety and depression, while findings from large-scale population data analyses have revealed mixed findings with respect to the mental health consequences for children and youth. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being and health-compromising behaviors of adolescents (12–18 years) previously referred for mental health services. Data were collected (pre-pandemic n = 3712; pandemic n = 3197) from mental health agencies across Ontario, Canada using the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health assessment. Our findings revealed no increased incidence of witnessing domestic violence nor experiencing physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Further, there were no increases in the risk of self-harm and suicide, anxiety, or depression among our sample of clinically referred youth. Finally, results demonstrated no increase in problematic videogaming/internet use, disordered eating, or alcohol intoxication, and a decrease in cannabis use. Our findings add to the growing body of knowledge as to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and youth. Further, findings underscore the importance of understanding the nuanced impact of the pandemic on various subgroups of children, youth, and families and highlight the need for continued monitoring of outcomes for these children and youth.

Keywords: health; mental health; COVID-19; interRAI (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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