Back to Search
Start Over
A nationwide study of COVID-19 impact on mental health-related presentations among children and adolescents to primary care practices in Australia.
- Source :
-
Psychiatry Research . Aug2023, Vol. 326, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p. - Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- • Average monthly GP visits for mental health tripled during the COVID-19 period. • Rates of depression and eating disorders rose by 61% and 56%, respectively. • Females and those from affluent areas had significantly higher visits. This study explored the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health (MH)-related visits to general practices (GPs) among children and young people (CYP) up to 18 years of age in Australia. This study analysed national-level data captured by the NPS MedicineWise program on monthly CYP MH-related visits per 10,000 visits to GPs from January 2014 to September 2021. We considered the pre-COVID-19 period (January 2014–February 2020) and the COVID-19 period (March 2020–September 2021). We used a Bayesian structural time series (BSTS) model to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on MH-related GP visits per 10,000 visits. A total of 103,813 out of 7,690,874 visits to GP (i.e., about 135 per 10,000 visits) were related to MH during study period. The BSTS model showed a significant increase in the overall MH-related visits during COVID-19 period (33%, 95% Credible Interval (Crl) 8.5%–56%), particularly, visits related to depressive disorders (61%, 95% Crl 29%–91%). The greatest increase was observed among females (39%, 95% Crl 12%–64%) and those living in socioeconomically least disadvantaged areas (36%, 95% Crl 1.2–71%). Our findings highlight the need for resources to be directed towards at-risk CYP to improve MH outcomes and reduce health system burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01651781
- Volume :
- 326
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Psychiatry Research
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 168585577
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115332