Exploring Disparities in Behavioral Health Service Use in the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Previous studies examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, but few studies looked at associations between the pandemic and state-funded behavioral health service utilization. We aimed to examine behavioral health service utilization during the early phase of COVID-19 among individuals with psychiatric disorders (PD), substance use disorders (SUD), and co-occurring disorders (COD).

Using the last Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment (ANSA) completed in 2019 and 2020 in a Midwestern state, a column proportion test and Poisson regression model examined the associations of the pandemic year, age, gender, race/ethnicity, diagnostic type, and behavioral health needs.

Between 2019 and 2020, the number of adults newly involved in behavioral health services increased from 11,882 to 17,385. The number of total actionable items (TAI) differed by gender and age group. Adults who were Black or American Indian were more likely to have a significantly higher number of needs that interfered with functioning (β = 0.08; CI [0.06, 0.09]), (β = 0.16; CI [0.08, 0.23]), respectively, than White peers. Individuals with COD showed the highest number of needs (β = 0.27; CI [0.26, 0.28]) when compared to the needs of individuals with psychiatric disorders, after controlling for year, age, gender, and race/ethnicity.

Additional research is needed to better understand the intersections of age, gender identity, race/ethnicity, the complexity of needs, and useful strengths. The involvement of practitioners, service organizations, researchers, and policymakers will be required to provide accessible, effective behavioral health services with cultural and developmental adaptations to support recovery.