Racine N, McArthur BA, Cooke JE, et al. - Significantly increased prevalence of child and adolescent mental illness observed in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to remain high.

• This meta-analysis was performed including 29 studies comprising 80,879 youth globally.

• During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the obtained pooled estimates indicate the presence of clinically elevated depression symptoms in 1 in 4 youth globally and clinically elevated anxiety symptoms in 1 in 5 youth.

• Increases in these pooled estimates occurred over time; these estimates have doubled relative to pre pandemic estimates.

• As per expectations, there would be an influx of mental health care utilization, and it is essential to allocate resources to address child and adolescent mental health concerns.