Impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic on youth mental health among youth with physical health challenges

AIM: To examine mental health in conjunction with physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic among youth with physical health conditions compared to those without. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 622 youth aged 14 to 28 was conducted. Analyses were conducted to understand the changes in mental and physical health among youth in four groups: (a) participants with a friend or family member diagnosed with COVID-19, (b) participants with symptoms associated with COVID-19, (c) participants with atopic conditions (asthma and allergies), and (d) participants with other preexisting physical health conditions. RESULTS: Many participants with physical health concerns met screening criteria for an internalizing disorder, which was significantly higher than the rate found among participants without physical health conditions. Significantly greater declines in self-reported mental health were observed during the COVID-19 period compared to 3 months earlier among youth reporting physical health concerns compared to those without physical health concerns. Substance use does not appear to have been affected. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health concerns are highly prevalent among youth with physical health concerns, and also appear to be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical health concerns appear to constitute risk factors for heightened mental health responses to the pandemic situation. System planners striving to adapt mental health services to meet social/physical distancing recommendations are urged to consider youth with physical health conditions and ensure that adequate integrated mental health and physical health supports are available to them.