Changes in mental health problems and access to mental health care among US adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from the national survey of children’s health.

Publication date: Jul 03, 2025

The increase in mental health problems among adolescents is a vital public health issue in the United States. It is crucial to understand how this concerning trend was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a national representative sample, we assessed the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and access to mental health care access among adolescents. Data was extracted from the 2019 and 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), an annually collected survey on the health and well-being of adolescents in the U. S. A total of 31,258 adolescents ages 12-17 years were included in this analysis. The two primary outcomes were reports of (1) mental health problems (yes/no) and (2) mental healthcare access (yes/no) in the past 12 months. We ran separate multiple logistic regression models to assess the changes in mental health problems and access to mental health care from 2019 to 2022. Overall, our results indicated a higher prevalence of adolescent mental health problems reported in 2022 (30. 6% 95% CI: 29. 4-31. 9%) than in 2019 (26. 9%, 25. 2-28. 6%) (p = 0. 001). Results of a regression model showed that adolescents who identified as non-Hispanic Black, had parents with higher education levels and who experienced childhood adverse events were more likely to have parent-reported mental health problems (all p 

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