(New York Times) – With the end of school shutdowns, children’s mental health appointments fell sharply, though other factors may have contributed.

A study of nearly 200,000 California schoolchildren found that their mental health had improved significantly after schools reopened for in-person learning in 2021, evidence that its authors said shows that the risks of prolonged shutdowns were greater than policymakers understood at the time.

The study, published on Monday in the journal Epidemiology, tracked medical claims for 185,735 privately insured children ages 5 to 18 in California over the months before and after their schools reopened. (Read More)