Mental disorders surged among children and teens during COVID-19 pandemic, new study finds

A new study analyzing global mental health data has revealed a sharp increase in mental disorders among children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, published in Psychological Medicine, found that the number of new mental disorder cases among individuals aged 5 to 24 increased by more than 11% annually during this period. The findings highlight the pandemic’s lasting impact on youth mental health.

The mental health of young people has long been a public health concern, with many disorders first appearing during childhood and adolescence. Mental disorders can affect cognitive development, school performance, relationships, and overall well-being, often carrying long-term consequences into adulthood. The COVID-19 pandemic created a new set of challenges that disrupted daily life, education, and social interactions, all of which are known to influence mental health.

Although previous research has examined the effects of the pandemic on mental health, there has been a lack of large-scale, globally representative studies specifically focused on children and adolescents. The authors of the new study sought to address this gap by using data from the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2021. They aimed to quantify changes in the prevalence and burden of mental disorders before and during the pandemic, providing a clearer picture of how young people were affected worldwide.

The researchers analyzed mental health data from 204 countries and territories, focusing on individuals aged 5 to 24. They examined three key measures: the number of new cases, the total number of people affected (prevalence), and the burden of mental disorders in terms of years lived with disability (YLDs). They compared data from 2019, before the pandemic, to data from 2020 and 2021, during the height of the pandemic’s disruptions.

To estimate how much of the increase in mental disorders was directly related to the pandemic, researchers used a statistical model called a Bayesian age–period–cohort model. This allowed them to predict what mental disorder rates would have been in 2020 and 2021 based on pre-pandemic trends. The difference between these estimates and the actual recorded data provided an estimate of the additional burden associated with the pandemic.

The researchers also examined how these trends varied by sex, age group, and socioeconomic development, using a measure called the sociodemographic index. This index takes into account education levels, income, and fertility rates to assess how a country’s level of development might be linked to changes in mental health.

The results showed a significant increase in mental disorders among children and adolescents during the pandemic. In 2021 alone, there were an estimated 123 million new cases of mental disorders in this age group. The overall rate of new cases increased by 11.8% per year during the pandemic, a sharp rise compared to pre-pandemic trends.

Anxiety disorders saw the most dramatic shift, becoming the leading cause of nonfatal disability in this age group, with 12.9 million years lived with disability recorded in 2021. Depressive disorders also saw a rise, moving up to the fourth leading cause of disability. Both anxiety and depression showed substantial increases in their prevalence and impact.

The study also revealed disparities based on sex and age. Females experienced a greater rise in mental disorders than males, particularly in terms of depression. Young adults aged 15 to 24 were most affected, with the largest increases in both anxiety and depression occurring in this group. Children under 10 also saw notable increases in anxiety, highlighting that even younger age groups were not spared from the pandemic’s mental health toll.

Geographically, the increase in mental disorders was more pronounced in wealthier regions with higher levels of economic development. The study found a significant positive correlation between the additional burden of mental disorders and a country’s sociodemographic index. High-income regions such as North America, Western Europe, and Australasia saw some of the largest increases in anxiety and depression rates. Some regions in Latin America also experienced particularly sharp rises.

As with all research, there are some limitations to take into account. The quality of mental health data varies by country, with some lower-income regions lacking detailed records. Additionally, the study relied on statistical models to estimate the expected mental health burden in the absence of the pandemic, which may not fully capture the complexity of mental health trends.

Another limitation is the study’s inability to account for racial and ethnic differences in mental health outcomes, as the dataset did not include information on these factors. Future research could explore how racial and cultural differences influence mental health responses to global crises.

Additionally, the study used data only through 2021, meaning it does not capture the full post-pandemic picture. More research is needed to understand whether these mental health effects are temporary or if they will have lasting consequences. Long-term studies will be necessary to track recovery and identify ongoing challenges.

The study, “Global burden of mental disorders in children and adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021,” was authored by Yubo Liu, Yijun Ren, Chenxi Liu, Xiaoli Chen, Danlei Li, Jia Peng, Liao Tan, and Qilin Ma.