ABSTRACT
Purpose of Study: Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the medical field has witnessed increasing rates of mental health challenges. Several global and national studies demonstrated an increasing prevalence of anxiety and depression in our children and adolescence, for which the AAP, AACAP, and CHA made a declaration of national emergency in mental health. However, there is paucity of data on adolescents in military families, a population with unique stressors, medical access, and home environment. Given the preliminary studies showing that early life stressors may alter the effect of the pandemic on adolescent mental health, this study hopes to look at the initial effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety and depression in this unique population. Methods Used: This study is a retrospective chart review of 188 13-23 year olds seen for regular annual visits in both the year prior to March 2020 and the first year since March 2020. In this way, these patients serve as their own internal control. Mental health screeners are a routine part of these visits in this population. As such, the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were collected to assess for anxiety and depression, respectively, in each of these time periods. Further covariates that were collected and analyzed include gender, age, coexisting mental health conditions, and BMI percentile. Summary of Results: There was no statistically significant difference in PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores within this population in the first year of the COVID pandemic compared to the year prior. Furthermore, the overall prevalence of anxiety and depression saw only a minor increase (8% to 10% and 10 to 12%, respectively) as compared to national and global studies. Even when subdividing the population based upon gender, age, coexisting mental health conditions, and BMI percentile, there was still no significant difference seen in these two times periods. The only relevant statistical difference note were higher scores for anxiety and depression scoring in female compared to males. Conclusion(s): The dramatic increase in adolescent anxiety and depression that previous studies have demonstrated may not be an accurate reflection of the military population, as demonstrated by this study. Whether because of differing exposure to stressors, health care access, or household and community structures, the military adolescent population did not show as significant of an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on their anxiety and depression. Limitations to our study include a selection towards patient's that come in for annual visits, who are likely to be a healthier subgroup. Further investigation is merited to see if anxiety and depression rates did change as the pandemic has further progressed and, if not, what protective factors may have prevented this.