Changes in everyday life associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and associated precautions may have increased emotional stress and reduced access for children and families to mental health support services, which has been shown to increase the risk of adverse childhood experiences among children. Little is known about how child and adolescent mental health, as well as access to and receipt of care from mental health services, may have changed over time for rural children and adolescents, compared to urban children and adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from this study will be useful for policymakers and program makers in designing mental health supports for rural children and adolescents during the pandemic.

This project aimed to:

1. Examine rural-urban differences in the prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression among children and adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
2. Examine rural-urban differences in access to mental health care professionals before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
3. Examine the receipt of care from a mental health professional before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Publications

• Rural-Urban Differences in Child and Adolescent Access to and Receipt of Mental Health Services Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results From the National Survey of Children's Health
  Policy Brief
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 09/2022
  This policy brief analyzes data from a large, national sample of children and adolescents to examine gross inter-group similarities and differences and offer timely recommendations for alleviating the youth mental health crisis.
• Rural-Urban Differences in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results From the National Survey of Children's Health
  Policy Brief
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 11/2022
  This policy brief analyzes data from a large national sample of children and adolescents to examine similarities and differences between rural and urban mental health outcomes prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic and offers considerations for policy and program development.