Supporting Youth Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• 2021

  Log in to bookmark this resource.

  Log in
• Jennifer Hoffmann; Susan Duffy
PMID: 34626149DOI: 10.1111/acem.14398

---

Access Resources

• Journal ArticleEN
• Ask aRCie About This Resource

About

This commentary discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated youth mental health issues, and highlights the insufficiencies in the U.S. mental health infrastructure for children. Emergency department (ED) visits for mental health crises surged, particularly for suicide attempts among adolescent girls. Factors such as social isolation, reduced access to school-based services, and economic stressors worsened the situation. Proposed solutions include enhancing early intervention, integrating behavioral health in schools and primary care, expanding mental health services, bolstering the workforce, and improving insurance coverage.

---

Tags

Focus Areas: Infectious Disease; Mental Health

Audience: Behavioral Health Professionals

Emergency Management Stage: Preparedness (Prevention / Protection)

Keywords: Psychology, Adolescent; Mental Health; Social Isolation; Suicide, Attempted; Emergency Service, Hospital; Adolescent Health; Pandemics; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2

Institutions: Northwestern University; Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital; Brown University; Hasbro Children’s Hospital

---

More like this

Association of Emergency Department Characteristics With Presence of Recommended Pediatric‐Specific Behavioral Health Policies 2024 · University of California San Francisco, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, Northwestern University, University of Utah, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Brown University, Alaska Department of Health, University of California, Los Angeles Using Hospital Incident Command Systems to Respond to the Pediatric Mental and Behavioral Health Crisis of the COVID-19 Pandemic 2023 · Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, Northwestern University Pediatric Mental Health Boarding in US Emergency Departments, 2018-2022 2025 · Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, Northwestern University, University of California San Francisco, Children's National Hospital, George Washington University, Seattle Children's Hospital, UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN), Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, University of California, Los Angeles

---

The information provided on this website is for educational purposes only. It does not substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

---