Hospitalizations associated with mental health conditions among adolescents during pandemic

Onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increased hospitalizations with mental health diagnoses among adolescents, according to the results of this study that included eight children’s hospitals in the United States and France. Anxiety, depression, and suicidality or self-injury were the most prevalent conditions. The increase in hospitalizations was particularly notable for adolescent females. These findings support the need for greater resources within children’s hospitals to care for adolescents with mental health conditions during the pandemic and beyond. 

Authors: Paul Avillach, M.D., Ph.D., and Florence T. Bourgeois, M.D., M.P.H., of Harvard Medical School in Boston, are the corresponding authors. 

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