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Post-COVID-19 increases in depression and other psychiatric disorders among Saudi children and adolescents

Ahmed M Almai1, Jay A Salpekar2, Anwar Alotaibi3

  • 1Psychiatry Department, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Frontiers in Psychiatry
|April 6, 2026
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased psychiatric disorders in Saudi children and adolescents. This study highlights the need for enhanced mental health services to address the growing emotional and behavioral difficulties in youth.

Area of Science:

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruption, increasing emotional and behavioral difficulties in children and adolescents globally.
  • Understanding the pandemic's impact on pediatric mental health is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze changes in psychiatric diagnostic patterns for pediatric referrals before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • To compare these trends within a Saudi tertiary healthcare system to regional and international data.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cross-sectional review of new psychiatric referrals (ages 3-18) at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare.
  • Comparison of pre-pandemic (2019) and post-pandemic (2021) referral data, excluding 2020 due to service suspension.
  • Analysis of diagnoses grouped by ICD-10 categories using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Main Results:

  • Significant increases observed in depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, sleep-wake disorders, and feeding/eating disorders post-pandemic.
  • A notable rise in total psychiatric referrals among pediatric patients was recorded.
  • Findings align closely with existing Gulf regional and international literature on pandemic-related mental health trends.

Conclusions:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic is linked to a substantial increase in psychiatric morbidity among Saudi youth.
  • Expanded screening and early intervention services are essential to mitigate the long-term effects.
  • Increased service capacity is needed to address the growing mental health needs of children and adolescents.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19Saudi Arabiaanxietychild psychiatrydepressioneating disorderssleep disorders

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