COVID-19, Mental Health, and Mental Health Treatment among Adults

This study seeks to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health status and mental health treatment among adults residing in the U.S. civilian, non-institutionalized population.METHODS: The data are drawn from the 2019-2020 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a nationally representative household survey of the U.S. civilian non-institutionalized population conducted annually since 1996 and used extensively to study mental health treatment in the U.S. I examine unadjusted and regression-adjusted differences between 2019 and 2020 in perceived mental health status (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor) and in the K6 general psychological distress, the PHQ-2 depression screener, and the VR-12 mental component summary score. Similarly, using the detailed MEPS data on health care encounters and prescription drug fills, I examine differences in mental health use treatment between 2019 and 2020. I focus specifically on changes in continuity of treatment among those already in treatment in January and February, before the pandemic fully struck, as well differences in the initiation of new episodes of treatment after the pandemic began.RESULTS: All four mental health scales included in the MEPS show statistically significant declines in mental health between 2019 and 2020, particularly among younger adults. On balance, the percentage of US adults receiving mental health treatment did not change significantly. Continuity of treatment increased slightly in 2020, wi...
Source: Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research