Adolescent Medicine Fellow SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Brooklyn, New York, United States
Background: Brooklyn has the largest African-Caribbean population in the US and was among the hardest hit by COVID-19. The pandemic highlighted health disparities as black patients had more death, lost income, housing instability, and co-morbidities which have long been correlated with poor mental health outcomes among minority youth. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a validated screening instrument used to assess depression severity. Given the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had in this population, PHQ-9 data may help quantify the impact it has had on mental health.
Objective: Clinic visits and administration of PHQ-9 screening questionnaire transitioned from in-person to virtual in 3/2019. We analyzed changes in prevalence of positive PHQ-9 depression screening (defined as a score > 9) before and after school closing and strict social distancing in Brooklyn.
Design/Methods: A retrospective review of all deidentified PHQ-9 survey results was conducted pre-pandemic 12/1/2019 - 3/15/2020 and post-pandemic shutdown 3/16/2020 - 7/31/2020 to assess changes before and during the height of the pandemic in New York City. PHQ-9 scores of depression severity pre vs. post COVID-19 shutdown were compared.
Results: Overall prevalence was 77/952 (8.1%) (pre) vs. 29/438 (6.6%) (post), Pearson chi-square test p=0.349. Logistic regression was used to predict PHQ9 > 9 from age group, sex, period, and their mutual interactions. No significant interactions were detected; in a main-effects model, the only significant predictor was sex (Wald chi-square test p=0.016); estimated adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for female vs male was 1.71 (1.11, 2.64). Conclusion(s): Surprisingly, there were no significant differences pre and post shutdown for depression severity in our population. In contrast, a similar study done in a predominantly white suburban New York population found a significant increase in depression severity. Reasons for these differences are not clear. More studies are needed. Gender differences were significant for severity of depression which is consistent with results reported in similar studies.
Authors/Institutions: Peter C. Pastolero, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States; Sarah Suss-Pardo, John F. Kennedy High School, Bellmore, New York, United States; Paridhi Anand, NYC H&H Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, New York, United States; Rhonda Cambridge, NYC H&H Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, New York, United States
