Examining School Based Health Service Utilization Among Marginalized Youth in Connecticut During COVID

Abstract

Purpose: This study examines how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is affecting utilization of medical and behavioral health services through school based health centers (SBHC s). Methods: We leveraged the electronic health records from one of the largest sponsors of SBHCs in the country, and tested differences in SBHC utilization with chi-square tests one year prior to the pandemic (pre-pandemic: March 2019-February 2020) compared to one year into the pandemic period (March 2020-February 2021). Results: A significant difference in SBHC utilization was found between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods (P