Trends in frequency of mental illness and self-harm recorded in primary care in children, adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic
What are we trying to do?
We are using the GMCR (Greater Manchester Care Record) data to provide information on the numbers of children, adolescents and young adults seeking help from their GP for mental health problems during the pandemic and how these differ by age, gender, ethnicity, and locality/socio-economic status.
Why is it important?
The study will provide a long-term observation to evidence how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected help-seeking in children, adolescents and young adults experiencing mental illnesses. This will enable us to examine the degree to which different demographic groups and localities have been affected by stressors and service delivery changes that have resulted from the pandemic, and how this has impacted existing health inequalities.
The use of the GMCR will enable the first granular examination of these phenomena in relation to ethnic groups and to explore how patterns vary across Greater Manchester’s (GM) 10 boroughs, and at neighbourhood level within these large urban populations.
We will communicate our findings and key messages to representatives from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), regional commissioning groups and NHS Trusts and identify population groups most at risk with a view to service improvement.
How are we doing it?
We are using GMCR data to examine monthly trends in all first-recorded episodes of mental ill-health diagnoses and self-harm from January 2019 to present (latest available data) amongst:
- children
- adolescents
- young adults.
We are also exploring differences associated to:
- gender
- age
- ethnic group
- socio-economic status
- GM borough population.
Who are we working with?
More Information
Programme Manager
Gill Rizzello
gill.rizzello@manchester.ac.uk