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Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic negatively affected child and adolescent mental health and at the end of the pandemic (April 2022) child mental health had not returned to pre‐pandemic levels. We investigated whether this observed increase in mental health problems has continued, halted, or reversed after the end of the pandemic in children from the general population and in children in psychiatric care. Methods: We collected parent‐reported and child‐reported data at two additional post‐pandemic time points (November/December 2022 and March/April 2023) in children (8–18 years) from two general population samples (N = 818–1056 per measurement) and one clinical sample receiving psychiatric care (N = 320–370) and compared these with data from before the pandemic. We collected parent‐reported data on internalizing and externalizing problems with the Brief Problem Monitor and self‐reported data on Anxiety, Depressive symptoms, Sleep‐related impairments, Anger, Global health, and Peer relations with the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®). Results: In the general population, parents reported no changes in externalizing problems but did report higher internalizing problems post‐pandemic than pre‐pandemic (p < 0.001). Children also reported increased mental health problems post‐pandemic, especially in anxiety and depression, to a lesser extent in sleep‐related impairment and global health, and least in anger (all ps < 0.01). In the clinical sample, parents reported higher internalizing (p < 0.001), but not externalizing problems post‐pandemic compared to the start of the pandemic. Children reported greatest increases in problems in anxiety, depression, and global health, to a lesser extent on sleep‐related impairment, and least on anger (all ps < 0.05). Conclusions: Child mental health problems in the general population are substantially higher post‐pandemic compared to pre‐pandemic measurements. In children in psychiatric care mental health problems have increased during the pandemic and are substantially higher post‐pandemic than at the start of the pandemic. Longitudinal and comparative studies are needed to assess what the most important drivers of these changes are. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected child and adolescent mental health and at the end of the pandemic (April 2022) child mental health had not returned to pre-pandemic levels. We investigated whether this observed increase in mental health problems has continued, halted, or reversed after the end of the pandemic in children from the general population and in children in psychiatric care., Methods: We collected parent-reported and child-reported data at two additional post-pandemic time points (November/December 2022 and March/April 2023) in children (8-18 years) from two general population samples ( N  = 818-1056 per measurement) and one clinical sample receiving psychiatric care ( N  = 320-370) and compared these with data from before the pandemic. We collected parent-reported data on internalizing and externalizing problems with the Brief Problem Monitor and self-reported data on Anxiety, Depressive symptoms, Sleep-related impairments, Anger, Global health, and Peer relations with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS ® )., Results: In the general population, parents reported no changes in externalizing problems but did report higher internalizing problems post-pandemic than pre-pandemic ( p  < 0.001). Children also reported increased mental health problems post-pandemic, especially in anxiety and depression, to a lesser extent in sleep-related impairment and global health, and least in anger (all p s < 0.01). In the clinical sample, parents reported higher internalizing ( p  < 0.001), but not externalizing problems post-pandemic compared to the start of the pandemic. Children reported greatest increases in problems in anxiety, depression, and global health, to a lesser extent on sleep-related impairment, and least on anger (all p s < 0.05)., Conclusions: Child mental health problems in the general population are substantially higher post-pandemic compared to pre-pandemic measurements. In children in psychiatric care mental health problems have increased during the pandemic and are substantially higher post-pandemic than at the start of the pandemic. Longitudinal and comparative studies are needed to assess what the most important drivers of these changes are., Competing Interests: MB is supported by a European Research Council consolidator Grant (WELL‐BEING 771057 PI Bartels). The authors have declared that they have no competing or potential conflicts of interest. All authors have seen and approved the manuscript., (© 2023 The Authors. JCPP Advances published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.)