z-logo
Premium
COVID‐related distress, mental health, and substance use in adolescents and young adults
Author(s) -
Villanti Andrea C.,
LePine S. Elisha,
PeasleyMiklus Catherine,
West Julia C.,
Roemhildt Maria,
Williams Rhonda,
Copeland William E.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
child and adolescent mental health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1475-3588
pISSN - 1475-357X
DOI - 10.1111/camh.12550
Subject(s) - mental health , anxiety , young adult , longitudinal study , stressor , psychiatry , distress , medicine , psychology , psychological intervention , odds , poison control , clinical psychology , gerontology , logistic regression , environmental health , pathology
Background This study examined the impact of COVID‐related disruptions on mental health and substance use in young people residing in a state with an initially lower COVID burden and earlier reopening of in‐person learning than other states. Methods Data come from Waves 3 (Fall 2019) and 4 (Fall 2020) of the Policy and Communication Evaluation (PACE) Vermont, an online cohort study of adolescents (ages 12–17) and young adults (ages 18–25). Participants in Wave 4 (212 adolescents; 662 young adults) completed items on COVID‐related stressors, the impact of the pandemic on their substance use, brief mental health scales, and past 30‐day substance use. Analyses examined correlational and longitudinal relationships between COVID‐related stressors, mental health symptoms, and substance use. Results More than 60% of participants noted negative effects of the pandemic on their physical, emotional, and social well‐being, with greater impacts of COVID‐related stressors in young adults than adolescents. There were significant increases in depressive (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.03, 1.66) and anxiety symptoms (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.10, 1.64) in young adults between Fall 2019 and Fall 2020. Higher overall COVID Impact scores were associated with higher odds of depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as past 30‐day electronic vapor product use, in adjusted cross‐sectional and longitudinal models. Conclusions Robust associations between COVID‐related distress, mental health, and substance use outcomes in young people signal the opportunity to increase evidence‐based interventions while adding novel approaches to minimize longer‐term harms of the pandemic on mental health in adolescents and young adults.

This content is not available in your region!

Continue researching here.

Having issues? You can contact us here