Trends in Mental Wellbeing of US Children, 2019–2022: Erosion of Mental Health Continued in 2022

Neeraj Bhandari () and Shivani Gupta
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Neeraj Bhandari: Department of Healthcare Administration and Policy, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
Shivani Gupta: Department of Health Administration, College of Business, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, TX 77058, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: We provide fresh estimates of a change in the nationwide prevalence of mental health symptoms among US children during the COVID-19 pandemic using National Health Interview Survey data (2019–22) on children aged 2–17 years (n = 27,378; age subgroups 2–5, 6–11, and 12–17) to assess overall mental distress and 19 specific outcomes related to developmental, communicative, cognitive, affective, and behavioral domains. Raw and adjusted (for socio-demographics) linear regressions estimated the change in prevalence for each outcome between 2019 (baseline year) and three succeeding years (2020–2022). Summary scores for mental distress rose between 2019 and 2020 (1.01 to 1.18 points, range of 0–15), declined slightly in 2021 (1.09), and climbed sharply again in 2022 (1.25). The declines primarily affected adolescents (1.11 at baseline, 1.24 in 2020, 1.30 in 2021, and 1.49 in 2022). Specific outcomes belonging to all domains of mental health showed similar increases in prevalence. US children suffered significant erosion of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic that continued into 2022. Expansion of mental health programs aimed at school-going children will likely be needed to respond effectively to the ongoing crisis.

Keywords: mental health; children; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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