Clinical trial NCT05260866: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Service Utilization in Children and Adolescents
Official title: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Service Utilization in Children and Adolescents
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Mental Disorder, Child
Keywords: pediatrics
COVID 19 pandemic
mental health
psychotropic drug
Lead sponsor: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Agence Nationale de Recherche (ANR) National Research Agency
First posted: 2022-03-02
Enrollment: 500000
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 6
Maximum age (years): 18
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Children and adolescents aged from 6 to 18 years

Brief summary: Mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic may be vast and may potentially overwhelm the mental health system in a long-lasting manner. Evaluating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents has become an immediate priority. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on use of mental health resources namely 1) prescriptions of psychotropic medications and 2) mental health-related outpatient visits, hospitalizations and emergency department visits in children and adolescents in France. Secondary aim is to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on episodes of fatal and non-fatal self-harm episodes in the same population. This will be a population-based cohort study using data from healthcare claims, administrative medical and outpatient drug dispensation databases in France between January 1, 2016 and June 1, 2021. Findings will inform on the risk of upcoming outbreaks of mental disorders that can result in significant morbidity and mortality and guide timely targeted actions to improve mental health outcomes and wellbeing in the youngest.

Detailed description: Mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic may be vast and may potentially overwhelm the mental health system in a long-lasting manner. Evaluating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents has become an immediate priority. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on use of mental health resources namely 1) prescriptions of psychotropic medications and 2) mental health-related outpatient visits, hospitalizations and emergency department visits in children and adolescents in France. Secondary aim is to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on episodes of fatal and non-fatal self-harm episodes in the same population. This will be a population-based cohort study using data from healthcare claims, administrative medical and outpatient drug dispensation databases in France between January 1, 2016 and June 1, 2021. Findings will inform on the risk of upcoming outbreaks of mental disorders that can result in significant morbidity and mortality and guide timely targeted actions to improve mental health outcomes and wellbeing in the youngest.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Children and adolescents aged from 6 to 18 years
* One dispensation of psychotropic medication or
* One mental-health related hospitalization or
* One reimbursement for an outpatient mental-health related consultation or
* One eligibility to long-term diseases corresponding to long term psychiatric diseases or
* One mental-health related cause of death using ICD-10 codes

Exclusion Criteria:

* none

Primary outcomes:
measure: To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on use of mental health resources
timeFrame: 1 year
Secondary outcomes:
measure: To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on episodes of fatal and non-fatal self-harm episodes in children and adolescents in France
timeFrame: 1 year
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Paris
country: France
facility: Robert Debre Hospital - Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris
Study officials:
affiliation: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
name: Florentia Kaguelidou, MD, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: