Our COVID-19 Pulse Survey Data

Children’s mental health

• Beginning in June 2022, the Household Pulse Survey asked households to report on whether any children in the last 4 weeks showed any of the following 8 mental health-related behaviors:
  • Anxious or clingy
  • Very sad or depressed
  • Changes in eating habits
  • Changes in ability to stay focused
  • Unusual anger or outbursts
  • Problematic behavior such as lying, cheating, stealing, or bullying
  • Behaving in ways they had previously outgrown (developmental regression)
  • Complaining of physical pain with no medical issue

• Between September and November 2022, 4 in 10 (42%) surveyed households with children (representing 30.7 million U.S. households) reported that one or more children displayed at least one of these mental health behaviors.
• The most frequently reported mental health behaviors were: seems anxious or clingy (25% of households with children), changes in ability to focus (18%), and changes in eating habits (17%).

Background

We partner with the U.S. Census Bureau on the Household Pulse Survey, an experimental data collection effort to rapidly monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. households. Household Pulse Survey data continue to be collected on an ongoing basis to monitor the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other emergent issues, on households across the country.

From April 2021 to May 2022, we collected data on:

• Preventive well-child visits

From April 2021 to August 2022, we collected data on:

• Disruptions in child care
• Children’s use of telemedicine

From June 2022 to May 2023, we have been collecting data on:

• Children’s mental/behavioral health 

Methods

The Household Pulse Survey was initially launched in April 2020 to provide information about the COVID-19 pandemic’s social and economic impacts on U.S. households. During earlier phases of the survey, data were collected and released every 2 weeks. As of December 2021, data are collected and released every 4 weeks.

Households are randomly selected using the U.S. Census Bureau’s Master Address File, and one adult 18 years or older is invited by text and/or email to participate in the web-based survey, which takes about 20 minutes to complete. Over 1 million households are invited to participate in each survey period. About one-third of respondents represent households with children under 18 years.

Prevalence estimates included on this page are weighted for nonresponse to match estimates of the U.S. population by age, sex, race, Hispanic ethnicity, and education. Analyses use survey procedures incorporating 80 replicate weights with a Fay’s adjustment to produce estimates for households with children. All analyses are conducted in SAS version 9.4 (Cary, NC).