COVID-19 and Youth Mental Health Disparities: Intersectional Trends in Depression, Anxiety and Suicide Risk-Related Diagnoses

Objectives: Mental health disparities were prevalent among racially and ethnically minoritized youth prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. As complete datasets from 2022 become available, we can estimate the extent to which the pandemic further magnified existing inequities. Our objective was to quantify disparities in trajectories of depression, anxiety, and suicide risk-related diagnoses in youth before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, using an intersectional lens of race, ethnicity and gender. Methods: Using electronic medical record data from one mid-Atlantic health care system (2015–2022), we evaluated changes in annual rates of depression, anxiety and suicide risk-related diagnoses in 29,117 youths, aged 8–20 years, using graphical analysis, comparison of adjusted mean differences (AMD) and adjusted mixed multilevel logistic regression. Results: Almost all racial and gender subgroups had significantly higher rates of depression and anxiety after the start of COVID-19 compared to the years prior, with the greatest changes observed in Hispanic and Asian females. Suicide risk-related diagnoses significantly increased among all female subgroups, with the largest increase among Asian females (AMD 4.8, 95% CI 0.2–9.3) and Black females (AMD 4.6, 95% CI 2.2–6.9). Conclusions: Rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors in young people continued to increase in the post-pandemic period. Many pre-existing disparities between subgroups, especially females, significantly widened, highlighting the importance of using an intersectional lens. Urgent action is warranted, including universal screening of pediatric patients for suicide risk, broadening effective treatment and support options in minoritized patients, and increasing support services to patients and families.