Associations Between Sleep and Adolescent Mental Health Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Partial Hospitalization Program.

OBJECTIVE

The impact of partial hospitalization programs (PHP) for adolescents with mental health difficulties has remained unclear, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined changes in mental health symptomatology among youth in an in-person PHP. Specifically, this study examined whether the COVID-19 pandemic or sex moderated the effect of insomnia on irritability, anxiety, depression, and suicidality among youth in an in-person PHP.

METHOD: A retrospective study of 271 adolescents (aged 11-17 years) treated in a PHP before (n = 99) and during (n = 172) the COVID-19 pandemic from January 2019 through December 2021 was conducted. The conditional process moderation path analytic regression model assessed whether changes in insomnia symptoms were moderated by both COVID-19 (pre- COVID-19 and during COVID-19 time periods) and sex.

RESULTS

A significant positive linear relationship was observed between changes in insomnia symptoms and changes in depressive, anxiety, and irritability symptoms among female adolescents, both before and during the COVID-19 period. A similar relationship between insomnia and suicidal ideation was observed among female adolescents, albeit only in the pre-COVID period. However, no significant interaction effects were identified between insomnia and group (pre- vs during COVID-19) or between insomnia and sex, suggesting that neither the pandemic nor sex moderated these associations.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the impact of sleep disturbance on mental health symptoms particularly among female adolescents, in the context of an in-person PHP, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PHP appeared to be equally effective in managing these symptoms in both the before and during the COVID-19 period. These findings provide a foundation for future research regarding the role of partial hospitalization programs in addressing adolescent mental health during global crises.