The COVID-19 pandemic has created long-lasting changes in caregiving responsibilities, including but not limited to increased demands, loss of support, worsening mental and physical health, and increased financial worries. There is currently limited evidence regarding factors associated with perceived changes in caregiving responsibilities.

This observational study aimed to investigate factors (sociodemographic characteristics of caregivers and mental health and/or addiction concerns of the caregiver and their youth) that predict perceived negative changes in caregiving responsibilities among adult caregivers (aged 18+ years) of children and youth (aged 0–25 years) in Ontario, Canada, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data were collected from 1381 caregivers of children and youth between January and March of 2022 through a representative cross-sectional survey completed online. Logistic regression was conducted to determine predictors contributing to perceived negative changes in caregiving responsibilities.

Among the sociodemographic characteristics, only ethnicity significantly predicted outcome. Higher caregiver strain (odds ratio [OR] = 10.567, 95% CI = 6.614–16.882, P < 0.001), worsened personal mental health (OR = 1.945, 95% CI = 1.474–2.567, P < 0.001), a greater number of children/youth cared for per caregiver (OR = 1.368, 95% CI = 1.180–1.587, P < 0.001), dissatisfaction with the availability of social supports (OR = 1.768, 95% CI = 1.297–2.409, P < 0.001) and negative changes in mental well-being in at least one child/youth (OR = 2.277, 95% CI = 1.660–3.123, P < 0.001) predicted negative changes in caregiving responsibilities.

These results support further exploration of the implications of negative perceptions of caregiving responsibilities and what processes might be implemented to improve these perceptions and the outcomes.

Few previous studies have established Snaith–Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) cut-off values using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and applied these values to compare predictors of anhedonia between clinical and nonclinical groups.

To determine the optimal cut-off values for the SHAPS and use them to identify predictors of anhedonia in clinical and nonclinical groups in Taiwan.

This cross-sectional and correlational study used convenience sampling to recruit 160 patients from three hospitals and 412 students from two universities in northern Taiwan. Data analysis included receiver operating characteristic curve, univariate and multivariate analyses.

The optimal SHAPS cut-off values were 29.5 and 23.5 for the clinical and nonclinical groups, respectively. Moreover, two-stage analysis revealed that participants in the clinical group who perceived themselves as nondepressed, and participants in the nonclinical group who did not skip classes and whose fathers exhibited higher levels of care and protection were less likely to attain the cut-off values. Conversely, participants in the nonclinical group who reported lower academic satisfaction and were unwilling to seek help from family or friends were more likely to attain the cut-off values.

Our findings highlight the importance of optimal cut-off values in screening for depression risk within clinical and nonclinical groups. Accordingly, the development of comprehensive, individualised programmes to monitor variation trends in SHAPS scores and relevant predictors of anhedonia across different target populations is crucial.

The efficacy of probiotics as a therapeutic alternative for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remain unclear.

To investigate the effectiveness of probiotics for symptoms of ADHD and identify possible factors affecting their efficacy.

Randomised placebo-controlled trials were identified through searching major databases from inception to April 2023, using the main keywords ‘probiotics’ and ‘ADHD’ without limitation on languages or geographic locations. The outcome of interest included improvement in total symptoms of ADHD, symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, and drop-out rate. Continuous and categorical data were expressed as effect sizes based on standardised mean differences (SMDs) and odds ratios, respectively, with 95% confidence intervals.

Meta-analysis of seven trials involving 379 participants (mean age 10.37 years, range 4–18 years) showed no significant improvement in total symptoms of ADHD (SMD = 0.25; P = 0.12), symptoms of inattention (SMD = 0.14; P = 0.3) or hyperactivity/impulsivity (SMD = 0.08; P = 0.54) between the probiotic and placebo groups. Despite non-significance on subgroup analyses, there was a large difference in effect size between studies using probiotics as an adjunct to methylphenidate and those using probiotics as supplementation (SMD = 0.84 v. 0.07; P = 0.16), and a moderate difference in effect size between studies using multiple strains of probiotics and those using single-strain regimens (SMD = 0.45 v. 0.03; P = 0.19).

Current evidence shows no significant difference in therapeutic efficacy between probiotics and placebos for treatment of ADHD symptoms. However, albeit statistically non-significant, higher therapeutic efficacies associated with multiple-strain probiotics or combining probiotics with methylphenidate may provide direction for further research.

Literature emphasises the importance of identifying and intervening in the adoption of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours (ULBs) during adolescence at an early stage, to mitigate their long-term detrimental effects. Among the possible associated factors contributing to ULBs, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been shown to play an important role. However, little is known about ADHD subclinical manifestations.

The present study aimed to bridge the gap in the literature and shed light on the relationship between subclinical ADHD and early adoption of ULBs during adolescence. Through a clinimetric approach, prevalence of ULBs, severity of ADHD symptoms and psychosocial factors (i.e. allostatic overload, abnormal illness behaviour, quality of life, psychological well-being) were investigated among adolescents. The associations between different degrees of ADHD, ULBs and psychosocial factors were also explored.

This multicentre cross-sectional study involved 440 adolescents (54.5% females; mean age 14.21 years) from six upper secondary schools. Participants completed self-report questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics, ULBs, ADHD symptoms and psychosocial factors.

The most common ULBs were energy drinks/alcohol consumption and problematic smartphone use. Of the sample, 22% showed subclinical ADHD and 20.2% showed clinical ADHD. The subclinical ADHD group showed several ULBs (i.e. altered mindful eating, impaired quality of sleep, problematic technology use) and psychosocial factors, akin to those of ADHD group and different from peers without ADHD symptoms.

Since subclinical ADHD manifestation is associated with ULBs, similarly to clinical ADHD, identifying subthreshold symptoms during adolescence is crucial, as it could improve health-related outcomes in adulthood across different domains.

Individuals with epilepsy are at risk of developing pre-ictal, ictal, postictal or interictal psychoses. Antipsychotic drugs (APDs) are the main class of drugs used to treat psychosis and schizophrenia. The efficacy and safety of APDs as a treatment for epileptic psychosis is not well understood. Hence, we aimed to conduct a systematic review assessing the effectiveness and adverse effects of antipsychotic drugs to treat psychosis in people with epilepsy.

We adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo and AMED from database inception to 20/06/2023. We contacted experts in the field and performed citation searches to identify additional records. Title, abstract, full-text review, and data analysis were conducted in duplicate, with conflicts resolved by discussion among authors. Given the heterogeneity of study designs, meta-analysis was not deemed appropriate; instead, the results were tabulated in a narrative synthesis. The Joanna Briggs Institute Risk of Bias tool was used to assess study quality.

We identified 13 studies, with a total of 1,180 participants. In the 9 case series included, the psychotic symptoms of all but 3 out of 28 patients treated with APDs partially improved or fully resolved. 3 of the cohort studies reported an association between antipsychotic use and longer duration of psychotic episodes, 2 found similar results in both APD and non-APD groups, and 2 did not report control psychosis outcomes. When reported, seizure frequency was observed to remain unchanged or decrease following APD treatment.

Available evidence does not suggest that antipsychotics increase seizure risk in individuals with epilepsy. However, further data from randomised controlled trials and well-controlled cohort studies are urgently needed to draw more definitive conclusions.

Data on associations between inflammation and depressive symptoms largely originate from high income population settings, despite the greatest disease burden in major depressive disorder being attributed to populations in lower-middle income countries (LMICs).

We assessed the prevalence of low-grade inflammation in adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in Pakistan, an LMIC, and investigated associations between peripheral C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and depressive symptoms.

This is a secondary analysis of two randomised controlled trials investigating adjunctive immunomodulatory agents (minocycline and simvastatin) for Pakistani adults with TRD (n = 191). Logistic regression models were built to assess the relationship between pre-treatment CRP (≥ or <3 mg/L) and individual depressive symptoms measured using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Descriptive statistics and regression were used to assess treatment response for inflammation-associated symptoms.

High plasma CRP (≥3 mg/L) was detected in 87% (n = 146) of participants. Early night insomnia (odds ratio 2.33, 95% CI 1.16–5.25), early morning waking (odds ratio 2.65, 95% CI 1.29–6.38) and psychic anxiety (odds ratio 3.79, 95% CI 1.39–21.7) were positively associated, while gastrointestinal (odds ratio 0.38, 95% CI 0.14–0.86) and general somatic symptoms (odds ratio 0.34, 95% CI 0.14–0.74) were negatively associated with inflammation. Minocycline, but not simvastatin, improved symptoms positively associated with inflammation.

The prevalence of inflammation in this LMIC sample with TRD was higher than that reported in high income countries. Insomnia and anxiety symptoms may represent possible targets for personalised treatment with immunomodulatory agents in people with elevated CRP. These findings require replication in independent clinical samples.

There is a high incidence of serious mental illness (SMI) and antipsychotic use in the respiratory high dependence unit (HDU) compared with the general population. However, there is a paucity of data in the extant literature evaluating the relationships between respiratory failure and antipsychotics.

To investigate the relationship between antipsychotics and respiratory failure in people admitted to a respiratory HDU, and to gain a better understanding of the potential impact of antipsychotic medications on respiratory outcomes.

Medical, demographic and clinical outcome data were collected for a consecutive sample of 638 individuals admitted to a respiratory HDU between the dates 1 January 2018 and 29 May 2021 at a large quaternary hospital.

Multivariate models controlling for confounders found that antipsychotic medications increased risk of admission for type 2 respiratory failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation without hypercapnia by 3.7 and 11.45 times, respectively. For people admitted with type 2 respiratory failure, antipsychotic use increased the risk of requiring non-invasive ventilation by 4.9 times. Those prescribed an antipsychotic were more likely to be readmitted within 30 days. Over 30% of individuals were prescribed antipsychotics for an unlicensed indication.

Poor respiratory outcomes may be a previously unknown adverse drug reaction of antipsychotics. Modifications to clinical care and clinical pathways for those with SMI prescribed antipsychotic medications, including optimising their chronic health and deprescribing where appropriate, should be prioritised.

People under the care of mental health services are at increased risk of suicide. Existing studies are small in scale and lack comparisons.

To identify opportunities for suicide prevention and underpinning data enhancement in people with recent contact with mental health services.

This population-based study includes people who died by suicide in the year following a mental health services contact in Wales, 2001–2015 (cases), paired with similar patients who did not die by suicide (controls). We linked the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health and the Suicide Information Database – Cymru with primary and secondary healthcare records. We present results of conditional logistic regression.

We matched 1031 cases with 5155 controls. In the year before their death, 98.3% of cases were in contact with healthcare services, and 28.5% presented with self-harm. Cases had more emergency department contacts (odds ratio 2.4, 95% CI 2.1–2.7) and emergency hospital admissions (odds ratio 1.5, 95% CI 1.4–1.7), but fewer primary care contacts (odds ratio 0.7, 95% CI 0.6–0.9) and out-patient appointments (odds ratio 0.2, 95% CI 0.2–0.3) than controls. Odds ratios were larger in females than males for injury and poisoning (odds ratio: 3.3 (95% CI 2.5–4.5) v. 2.6 (95% CI 2.1–3.1)).

We may be missing existing opportunities to intervene, particularly in emergency departments and hospital admissions with self-harm presentations and with unattributed self-harm, especially in females. Prevention efforts should focus on strengthening routine care contacts, responding to emergency contacts and better self-harm care. There are benefits to enhancing clinical audit systems with routinely collected data.

The aims of this study included investigating the relationship between perceived stress levels and food consumption patterns amongst Pakistani medical students. Additionally, the study meant to determine whether there is a significant difference in food choice between high-stress and low-stress groups of students. Lastly, the study aimed to identify the specific food types most commonly consumed by medical students under high stress conditions.

The investigators of this study hypothesised that there is a significant difference in food choices between high-stress and low-stress groups of medical students.

Among the common health problems reported by medical students, stress stands out as one. Factors related to educational and psychological domains result in the development of stress. Changing dietary patterns is a commonly employed strategy used to deal with stress.

This study utilised an online survey administered among medical students across Pakistan. The data collection period was 4 weeks from 5th July to 5th August 2023. The survey was distributed conveniently using social media platforms. Sampling was done via the snow-ball method. Data analysis was done via SPSS.

Our results from the population of 138 females (68.6%) and 63 males (31.3%) concluded that there were no significant differences in the perceived stress score between genders (p-value = 0.377) and between hostelites and non-hostelites (p-value = 0.816) using the Mann–Whitney test. We found statistically significant differences in the perceived stress score among the different frequencies for the consumption of snacks (p = 0.02) and fast foods (p = 0.008), but the stress score remained non-significant for fruits and vegetables (p-value = 0.089), ready-to-eat foods (p-value = 0.134), and sweets (p-value = 0.051) with the Kruskal–Wallis test.

While previous studies have shown a difference in perceived stress across genders and living arrangements, ours found none. In addition, we found snacks and fast foods to be the go-to for students in times of stress, but the consumption of healthier foods was not associated with a lower level of stress.

Bipolar disorder (BD) leads to marked disability, morbidity, and premature death. Although pharmacological agents are an essential part of BD treatment, psychosocial interventions have played an important role in enhancing treatment adherence, functioning and quality of life in patients with BD. Building on a successful pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a Culturally adapted PsychoEducation (CaPE) intervention for BD, CaPE is currently being evaluated in a large multicenter RCT for its clinical and cost-effectiveness across Pakistan. However, innovations are urgently needed due to limited human resources and disproportionately high clinical needs to bring effective interventions to scale. This study aims to develop and test a mHealth iteration of CaPE, digital CaPE (dCaPE), to be delivered via a mobile app.

The study will utilise a two-phased approach to i) develop a user-centred dCaPE mobile application and ii) assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of dCaPE for people with BD in a randomised controlled trial in Pakistan. For application development, we have conducted discussion groups with stakeholders i.e., mental health professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses) (n = 8) and patients and carers (n = 10) to gauge their valuable insights for app design, visual elements, cultural sensitivity, motivational and mood-monitoring features, and app functionality to improve user experience.

The findings from discussion groups informed the importance of visual elements, specifically font size and style. Participants recommended the use of soft and soothing colours like white, grey, and soft shades of pink to prevent overstimulation. Additionally, participants highlighted the need for culturally and linguistically inclusive features, including emojis and audio messages for effective engagement and to address the challenge of low literacy. The mHealth approach was deemed highly valuable, especially given the prevalence of mental health challenges and associated stigma. Endorsed by participants, the dCaPE application will offer customized psychoeducation messages along with daily 5-item (mood, energy, sleep, medication, and irritability) screening, a weekly comprehensive test for manic and depressive episodes based on DSM–5 criteria; weekly reminders to regulate sleep and eating habits, and visual representations of weekly mood monitoring reports with the incentive of badges or rewards for goal achievers.

This research has the potential to enhance clinical outcomes, social and occupational functioning, and the overall quality of life for BD patients while addressing substantial mental health treatment gaps with impact and implications extending to various low-resource settings.

Although both psychological resilience and social support are widely believed to be effective in alleviating post-traumatic psychiatric symptoms in individuals with traumatic events, there has been a lack of comparative analysis of their intervention effects on different post-traumatic psychiatric symptoms. Furthermore, previous studies have mostly failed to control for potential confounding effects caused by different traumatic events.

We used the novel network analysis approach to examine the differential moderating effects of psychological resilience and social support on post-traumatic psychiatric symptoms, controlling for the confounding effects of traumatic events.

We recruited 264 front-line rescuers who experienced the same traumatic event. Quantified edge weights and bridge expected influence (BEI) were applied to compare the alleviating effects of psychological resilience and social support.

Our study revealed distinct correlations in a sample of front-line rescuers: social support negatively correlates more with psychosomatic symptoms, notably fatigue in depressive networks and sleep disturbance in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) networks, whereas psychological resilience shows fewer such correlations. Quantitative analysis using BEI indicated that psychological resilience more effectively suppresses depressive and anxiety symptom networks, whereas social support more significantly inhibits PTSD symptom networks.

The current study represents the first attempt to examine the differential effects of psychological resilience and social support on post-traumatic outcomes in real-world emergency rescuers, controlling for the confounding effect of traumatic events. Our results can act as the theoretical reference for future precise and efficient post-trauma psychological interventions.

Having social support improves one's health outcomes and self-esteem, and buffers the negative impact of stressors. Previous studies have explored the association between social support and brain activity, but evidence from task-dependent functional connectivity is still limited.

We aimed to explore how gradually decreasing levels of social support influence task-dependent functional connectivity across several major neural networks.

We designed a social support task and recruited 72 young adults from real-life social groups. Of the four members in each group, one healthy participant (18 participants in total) completed the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. The fMRI task included three phases with varying levels of social support: high-support phase, fair phase and low-support phase. Functional connectivity changes according to three phases were examined by generalised psychophysiological interaction analysis.

The results of the analysis demonstrated that participants losing expected support showed increased connectivity among salience network, default mood network and frontoparietal network nodes during the fair phase compared with the high-support phase. During the low-support phase, participants showed increased connectivity among only salience network nodes compared with the high-support phase.

The results indicate that the loss of support was perceived as a threat signal and induced widespread increased functional connectivity within brain networks. The observation of significant functional connectivity changes between fair and high-support phases suggests that even a small loss of social support from close ones leads to major changes in brain function.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), along with sexual health and behaviour, have received little attention in schizophrenia patients.

To systematically review and meta-analytically characterise the prevalence of STIs and sexual risk behaviours among schizophrenia patients.

Web of Science, PubMed, BIOSIS, KCI-Korean Journal Database, MEDLINE, Russian Science Citation Index, SciELO and Cochrane Central Register were systematically searched from inception to 6 July 2023. Studies reporting on the prevalence or odds ratio of any STI or any outcome related to sexual risk behaviours among schizophrenia samples were included. PRISMA/MOOSE-compliant (CRD42023443602) random-effects meta-analyses were used for the selected outcomes. Q-statistics, I2 index, sensitivity analyses and meta-regressions were used. Study quality and publication bias were assessed.

Forty-eight studies (N = 2 459 456) reporting on STI prevalence (including 15 allowing for calculation of an odds ratio) and 33 studies (N = 4255) reporting on sexual risk behaviours were included. Schizophrenia samples showed a high prevalence of STIs and higher risks of HIV (odds ratio = 2.11; 95% CI 1.23–3.63), hepatitis C virus (HCV, odds ratio = 4.54; 95% CI 2.15–961) and hepatitis B virus (HBV; odds ratio = 2.42; 95% CI 1.95–3.01) infections than healthy controls. HIV prevalence was higher in Africa compared with other continents and in in-patient (rather than out-patient) settings. Finally, 37.7% (95% CI 31.5–44.4%) of patients were sexually active; 35.0% (95% CI 6.6–59.3%) reported consistent condom use, and 55.3% (95% CI 25.0–82.4%) maintained unprotected sexual relationships.

Schizophrenia patients have high prevalence of STIs, with several-fold increased risks of HIV, HBV and HCV infection compared with the general population. Sexual health must be considered as an integral component of care.

Electroconvulsive Therapy Accreditation Service (ECTAS) publishes minimal data set collected from ECT services subscribing to ECTAS accreditation. The aim of this study is to review minimal data set published by ECTAS towards understanding trends and statistically significant changes between 2013 and 2021.

ECTAS minimal data set has been published for years 2012/13, 2014/15, 2016/17 and 2021. Number of courses, age, gender, diagnoses, legal status, number of treatments, and score on Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) for acute treatments has been analysed for trends and statistical differences.

ECTAS data set was not published for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020. In terms of number of courses of treatment per year, 2014/15 was highest with 2148 courses and lowest was in 2016/2017 with 1821 courses. Average number of treatments was 1995 and there was no statistical difference between the years. There was no statistical difference with mean age (61), gender (female 66%), and diagnosis (depression 87.5%). In terms of diagnosis though, there is better documentation of diagnosis in 2021, rather than broad categories such as catatonia used previously, and this has led to schizophrenia as diagnosis in 4% and mixed affective disorder in 5%.

There has been a gradual but not statistically significant trend to increase in treatments per course from 9.3 in 2012/13 to 10.1 in 2021. There is significant increase in number of patients detained at the start of treatment from 42% in 2012/13 to 57% in 2021. Percentage of people in moderate to amongst severely ill categories on CGI at the start has remained the same through the years (mean 96%). CGI at the end of treatment minimal improved to much improved has similarly remained through the year (mean 91%).

The 2021 data set includes subjective memory score with categories showing increases after ECT were 2 (“occasional increased lapses of memory”) and the yet milder category of 1.

Between the published data sets, there is no statistical difference apart from number of patients commencing ECT under the Mental Health Act. This may reflect increasingly better practice in assessing mental capacity, with a greater tendency to appropriate application of Mental Health Act legal framework ensuring legal safeguards for the patient such as right to appeal and statutory access to second opinion.

Rates of acute mental health presentations in youth were increasing pre-pandemic internationally. Longitudinal studies following COVID-19 attest to ongoing deterioration in youth mental health, recognising adverse unintended consequences following public health restrictions.

To examine whether the initial post-COVID-19 increase in mental health presentations persisted following the reclassification of COVID-19 to endemic status, accompanied by the removal of most restrictions.

All referrals to paediatric liaison psychiatry (PLP) between January 2018 and December 2022 in a Dublin tertiary children's hospital were included in the study. An interrupted time series analysis with autoregressive integrated moving average models was conducted, examining referrals with respect to different phases of COVID-19 and application of public health restrictions.

Some 1385 referrals to PLP were received over the 5-year study. There was a significant decrease in PLP referrals immediately post-COVID-19, followed by a significant and sustained increase as the pandemic progressed and moved to endemic status. Public health restriction phases had a unique effect on those presenting with suicidal ideation, with a significant increase in the number of referrals. There was no effect of restrictions on other clinical profiles.

Increased referrals for youth with mental health difficulties, reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, persisted into the early endemic stage, after COVID-19 public health restrictions ceased. Specific impacts of restrictions on suicidal ideation referrals require further study. Investment in child and adolescent mental health services remains a priority, and future pandemic response strategies need to examine unintended consequences of any enforced public health measure.

Rates of self-harm among children and young people (CYP) have been on the rise, presenting major public health concerns in Australia and worldwide. However, there is a scarcity of evidence relating to self-harm among CYP from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

To analyse the relationship between self-harm-related mental health presentations of CYP to emergency departments and CALD status in South Western Sydney (SWS), Australia.

We analysed electronic medical records of mental health-related emergency department presentations by CYP aged between 10 and up to 18 years in six public hospitals in the SWS region from January 2016 to March 2022. A multilevel logistic regression model was used on these data to assess the association between self-harm-related presentations and CALD status while adjusting for covariates and individual-level clustering.

Self-harm accounted for 2457 (31.5%) of the 7789 mental health-related emergency department presentations by CYP; CYP from a CALD background accounted for only 8% (n = 198) of the self-harm-related presentations. CYP from the lowest two most socioeconomic disadvantaged areas made 63% (n = 1544) of the total self-harm-related presentations. Findings of the regression models showed that CYP from a CALD background (compared with those from non-CALD backgrounds) had 19% lower odds of self-harm (adjusted odds ratio 0.81, 95% CI 0.66–0.99).

Findings of this study provide insights into the self-harm-related mental health presentations and other critical clinical features related to CYP from CALD backgrounds that could better inform health service planning and policy to manage self-harm presentations and mental health problems among CYP.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed an unprecedented global challenge, with past evidence suggesting negative psychological effects with the additional concern that social and physical restrictions might disproportionately affect adolescents.

To explore mental health and its wider determinants in young people in the UK during 1 year of the COVID-19 pandemic (August 2020–August 2021).

A representative sample of 11 898 participants (48.7% female) aged between 13 and 19 years (mean = 16.1) participated in five waves of data collection. Using validated self-reported questionnaires for loneliness, anxiety and depression, this survey measured the extent and nature of the mental health impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and help-seeking behaviours, and changes over time.

Young people experienced higher levels of anxiety during the summer and fall 2020, followed by higher levels of depression during the winter 2020–2021, with loneliness gradually increasing then peaking during the spring and summer of 2021. Young people who were older, female, with pre-existing mental-health issues and experiencing financial difficulties were at higher risk of anxiety, depression and loneliness. Help-seeking behaviours reduced the risk of depression and loneliness.

The COVID-19 pandemic had substantial impact on young people, whether on their mental health, their social contacts and interactions or their perspective on what the future holds for them. Young people strongly advocated for better teacher training, and a better integration of mental health services, particularly within their schools.