Disaster Mental Health
Increased Demand for Mental Health Services in an Outpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department Through the Covid-19 Pandemic
Allison S. Nahmias, Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Adria Gerber, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Judith Crowell, M.D.
Professor, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Stony Brook University
East Setauket, New York
The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic presented challenges and opportunities for mental healthcare services and interventions, and according to research significantly impacted the mental health of the child and adolescent population (Racine et al, 2020). Multiple stressors experienced by children and adolescents during the pandemic, including social isolation (Fong & Iarocci, 2020), loneliness, lack of physical exercise, family stress and wellness (Gassman-Pines et al, 2020), and an overall feeling of being unsafe have been noted as significantly increasing the risk for mental health problems of anxiety and depression (Racine et al, 2020). Increased access to mental health services has been imperative to meet this increased demand for services. The current study explored the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on treatment seeking behaviors at an Outpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department in an academic medical center. An 225% increase in demand for services (i.e., patient calls to the clinic, consultation requests from within the university medical system) was observed over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic from October 2020 (which coincides with the beginning of the academic year) to March 2022. As part of routine clinical operations, parents completed intake questionnaires via a HIPPA-compliant online survey platform prior to the scheduled intake evaluation appointment. The intake packet included questions regarding the main reasons for wanting help for their child, as well as demographics, and symptom questionnaires including the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001). Qualitative coding was used to identify themes for presenting concerns and reasons for seeking diagnostic evaluation or therapeutic treatment. Descriptive statistics and regression were used for analysis. Coding and analysis is ongoing. Parents of 1345 children and adolescents (Mean age = 12.6 years, SD = 3.8) seeking mental health care services between October 2020 and March 2022 completed the online intake questionnaires. Preliminary coding indicated that 7.4% of parents identified the COVID-19 pandemic or virtual learning as a part of the reason for seeking mental health evaluation or treatment for their child (Mean age 13.7 years, SD = 2.8). The mention of the COVID-19 pandemic or virtual learning as a reason for presenting at the outpatient child and adolescent outpatient psychiatry department was positively associated with child age (B = 1.2, p = .002) and significantly decreased over time (B = -3049808.3, p < .02). Planned analyses include assessing the association between child and family factors (e.g., socio-economic, race/ethnicity, gender, educational placement), intake CBCL scores, and COVID-related presenting problems. Results thus far indicate an increased demand for mental health services for children and adolescents during this public health emergency.