3. ADHD and the Youth Mental Health Crisis

This is a scoping review and exploratory study of the Youth Mental Health Crisis (YMHC) and ADHD. A 2021 CDC study found that sadness increased from 36% in 2011 to 57% in 2021. Method: We conducted a study funded by NIMH: Prevention and Early Identification for High-Risk Youth in School-based Clinics with over-representation of minorities. Results: 219 high school youth living adjacent to Boston were assessed with the Kiddie Computerized Adaptive Test (K-CAT) for 7 diagnoses and suicidality and with the WFIRS Self Report. 15% of youth were categorized as high risk (suicidal), almost half as clinically ill (2 or more diagnoses with severe impairment,) and a quarter as ‘at risk’ (at least 1 diagnosis with impairment,). Half of youth showed severe difficulty with self-concept, and a quarter with life skills. All diagnoses were moderately correlated with similar domains of impairment. Subjects were offered the chance to participate in an online CBT intervention, which had limited appeal. Conclusion: The YMHC has impacted youth across the diagnostic spectrum, but the intersectionality of ADHD with the YMHC has created a double burden of distress for ADHD youth with increases in multi- morbidity, impairment, suicidality, and academic concerns. Scalable and accessible interventions delivered at the community level are needed to address the pathways by which the social problems associated with the pandemic are manifesting as psychiatric illness.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Review recent epidemiological studies on mental health in youth pre-pandemic and during the pandemic.
2. Interpret the scoping review of how the Youth Mental Health Crisis has impacted ADHD youth and treatment of ADHD.
3. Discuss the findings of an ongoing community based study of symptoms, functioning, risk and suicidality in Boston area high schools.

CADDRA – Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance has been approved by the College of Family Physicians, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the Canadian Psychological Association to offer 1.25 continuing education credits for this session.  CADDRA maintains responsibility for the program.

Participation in a discussion forum is required to claim full credits.