Journal ArticleThe Impact of COVID-19 on Access to Mental Health Care ServicesHarrell, Benjamin; Fumarco, Luca; Button, Patrick; Schwegman, David J.; Denwood, KylaThe COVID-19 pandemic increased the rate of mental health disorders, as well as demand for mental health services. It remains unclear, however, the extent to which it impacted access to mental health care. Using data from an audit field experiment, which ran from January to May 2020 and overlapped with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we examine the impact of COVID-19 on access to mental health care appointments in the United States. We find that increased intensity of COVID-19–measured by daily cases, daily fatalities, and weekly excess deaths–is associated with decreased access to mental health care appointments.2023-05-0110422368AEA Papers and Proceedings113420 to 4222574-0768https://doi.org/10.1257/pandp.202310582046642National Science Foundation