Burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health in the Lombardy Region, Italy: a retrospective database review.
Humans
Adolescent
COVID-19
/ epidemiology
Italy
/ epidemiology
Male
Female
Retrospective Studies
Mental Health Services
/ statistics & numerical data
Child
Mental Disorders
/ epidemiology
SARS-CoV-2
Databases, Factual
Mental Health
/ statistics & numerical data
Pandemics
Adolescent Health Services
/ statistics & numerical data
Prevalence
Hospitalization
/ statistics & numerical data
Psychotropic Drugs
/ therapeutic use
Adolescent Health
COVID-19
Child Psychiatry
Epidemiology
Journal
BMJ paediatrics open
ISSN: 2399-9772
Titre abrégé: BMJ Paediatr Open
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101715309
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
28 Sep 2024
28 Sep 2024
Historique:
received:
22
01
2024
accepted:
16
09
2024
medline:
30
9
2024
pubmed:
30
9
2024
entrez:
29
9
2024
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Previous research has assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health (MH). How the pandemic changed healthcare resource utilisation for MH conditions was investigated less, however, in particular in Italy. Data concerning outpatient visits in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHSs), access to emergency departments (EDs), hospital admissions and drug prescriptions collected in administrative databases of the Lombardy Region, Italy, concerning adolescents 12-17 years old and occurring in the 2016-2021 period were analysed.Annual and monthly prevalence of healthcare (CAHMS/ED visits/hospital admissions) use for MH conditions and of psychotropic drug prescriptions were estimated. A negative binomial regression model was used to model the pre-pandemic monthly number of prevalent cases by gender. The total number of pandemic (1 March 2020 to 31 December 2021) cases predicted from the model was compared with the number of observed cases. The overall annual rate of healthcare service utilisation slightly increased in the 2016-2019 period (from 63.8‰ to 67.8‰), decreased in 2020 (57.1‰) and returned to values similar to 2016 (64.9‰) the following year. A 2% relative increase was observed in girls, and a 10% decrease in boys, when comparing the prevalence in 2021 with that in 2019. Differences between genders were particularly evident for ED attendance, with an observed/predicted cases ratio in 2021 of 0.81 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.83) in boys, and 1.18 (95% CI 1.16 to 1.20) in girls, and for psychotropic drug prescriptions (0.83 (95% CI 0.82 to 0.84) and 1.24 (95% CI 1.23 to 1.25), respectively). The current study confirms that the use of health services for MH conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic increased among adolescent girls but decreased among boys, and that gender differences emerged in the MH impact of the pandemic.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Previous research has assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health (MH). How the pandemic changed healthcare resource utilisation for MH conditions was investigated less, however, in particular in Italy.
METHODS
METHODS
Data concerning outpatient visits in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHSs), access to emergency departments (EDs), hospital admissions and drug prescriptions collected in administrative databases of the Lombardy Region, Italy, concerning adolescents 12-17 years old and occurring in the 2016-2021 period were analysed.Annual and monthly prevalence of healthcare (CAHMS/ED visits/hospital admissions) use for MH conditions and of psychotropic drug prescriptions were estimated. A negative binomial regression model was used to model the pre-pandemic monthly number of prevalent cases by gender. The total number of pandemic (1 March 2020 to 31 December 2021) cases predicted from the model was compared with the number of observed cases.
RESULTS
RESULTS
The overall annual rate of healthcare service utilisation slightly increased in the 2016-2019 period (from 63.8‰ to 67.8‰), decreased in 2020 (57.1‰) and returned to values similar to 2016 (64.9‰) the following year. A 2% relative increase was observed in girls, and a 10% decrease in boys, when comparing the prevalence in 2021 with that in 2019. Differences between genders were particularly evident for ED attendance, with an observed/predicted cases ratio in 2021 of 0.81 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.83) in boys, and 1.18 (95% CI 1.16 to 1.20) in girls, and for psychotropic drug prescriptions (0.83 (95% CI 0.82 to 0.84) and 1.24 (95% CI 1.23 to 1.25), respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
The current study confirms that the use of health services for MH conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic increased among adolescent girls but decreased among boys, and that gender differences emerged in the MH impact of the pandemic.
Identifiants
pubmed: 39343445
pii: 10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002524
doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002524
pii:
doi:
Substances chimiques
Psychotropic Drugs
0
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Informations de copyright
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Competing interests: None declared.