@article{ref1,
title="COVID-related distress, mental health, and substance use in adolescents and young adults",
journal="Child and adolescent mental health",
year="2022",
author="Villanti, Andrea C. and LePine, S. Elisha and Peasley-Miklus, Catherine and West, Julia C. and Roemhildt, Maria and Williams, Rhonda and Copeland, William E.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: This study examined the impact of COVID-related disruptions on mental health and substance use in young people residing in a state with an initially lower COVID burden and earlier reopening of in-person learning than other states. <br><br>METHODS: Data come from Waves 3 (Fall 2019) and 4 (Fall 2020) of the Policy and Communication Evaluation (PACE) Vermont, an online cohort study of adolescents (ages 12-17) and young adults (ages 18-25). Participants in Wave 4 (212 adolescents; 662 young adults) completed items on COVID-related stressors, the impact of the pandemic on their substance use, brief mental health scales, and past 30-day substance use. Analyses examined correlational and longitudinal relationships between COVID-related stressors, mental health symptoms, and substance use. <br><br>RESULTS: More than 60% of participants noted negative effects of the pandemic on their physical, emotional, and social well-being, with greater impacts of COVID-related stressors in young adults than adolescents. There were significant increases in depressive (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.03, 1.66) and anxiety symptoms (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.10, 1.64) in young adults between Fall 2019 and Fall 2020. Higher overall COVID Impact scores were associated with higher odds of depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as past 30-day electronic vapor product use, in adjusted cross-sectional and longitudinal models. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Robust associations between COVID-related distress, mental health, and substance use outcomes in young people signal the opportunity to increase evidence-based interventions while adding novel approaches to minimize longer-term harms of the pandemic on mental health in adolescents and young adults.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1475-357X",
doi="10.1111/camh.12550",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/camh.12550"
}