University research finds mental health issues doubled in youth during pandemic

It’s worrying for any parent to see their child struggle, but it’s especially troubling during a global pandemic.

Published in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics, the University of Calgary released a meta-analysis study that set off alarm bells when it revealed a growing number of children and adolescents are experiencing a mental health crisis due to living through the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the meta-analysis, the university gathered data from 29 different studies around the world, and analyzed approximately 81,000 youth globally.

“What we looked at across these studies around the world was, what’s the prevalence?” Dr. Nicole Racine, a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Calgary, told Gormley this week. “So what is the likelihood that youth would endorse having elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression?

“We found that about one in four youth globally, we’re saying (they have) significant depressive symptoms’and one in five, we’re saying they had significant anxiety symptoms. This is about double what we saw prior to the pandemic.”

The research found that in studies which had higher percentages of girls, there were higher prevalence rates; it was similar for older adolescents.

“A few reasons for this might be with the girls is often in females, we see a heavier reliance on social networks for social support and well-being,” Racine said. “In older groups, we think there were really a lot of missed milestones for older teens.

“This is also a time in development where you’re differentiating from your parents. Your peers mean a whole lot to you and, needless to say, in the last 18 months, it was harder to leave the nest and go out and do things than it has been in the past …

“We’ve been through hard things before and previous generations have been through hard things like wars and economic downturns and some really challenging things. But usually, in those contexts, the removal of being able to play with your peers or being able to hang out with them or spend time with them in person wasn’t removed.”

Last year, some research that looked at mental health over time for both adults and kids during the pandemic found some improvements were made as restrictions lifted. Racine anticipates a similar outcome.

“I think we need to keep evaluating and researching this because there may have been some youth who had an onset of a mental health difficulty during COVID,” Racine said. “We also know that youth who already had mental health difficulties really struggled through the pandemic. So I think the full story is still to be told.”

The study launches a dire discussion to provide mental health support.

“Even before the pandemic in our country, we had a mental health system that was overburdened,” Racine said. “We had a lot of waitlists. Ask any parent who’s tried to seek out mental health services or support for their child; it’s not easy.

“I think this is a clarion call about what we need to be prioritizing. Kids are our future. They’re our most precious resource. Investing in them and making sure that they have the supports and services they need is paramount.”