1
WGU D628 Public Health Graduate
Capstone Task 1
D628: Public Health Graduate Capstone Task
1: Capstone Literature Review
, 2
Identified Community and Public Health Issue
A1: Community and Public Health Issue
My chosen community for the project is New York State, where I reside. The adolescents
and emerging adults in New York have high mental health risks, such as anxiety, depression, and
suicidal thoughts, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. More than 3.27 million adults in New
York suffer from a mental health issue, and 272,000 adolescents suffer from a major depressive
episode every year. Around 170,000 adolescents in New York have serious suicide attempts every
year (NAMI, 2025). A study by De France et al. (2022) indicated that adolescents in New York
exhibited significantly elevated levels of anxiety and depression during the pandemic compared to
pre-pandemic trends. The large and diverse population of the state, which includes cities like New
York City, is still currently dealing with disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Social and economic factors play an important role in the public health problem. Over
3.6 million residents of New York lack adequate access to mental health care providers, and
many adults do not seek treatment due to cost constraints (NAMI, 2025). In terms of effects on
young people, it is evident that pandemic lifestyle factors are a strong predictor of depression and
emotion dysregulation, which are different for males and females in how financial stress and
fear of the virus (De France et al., 2022). Positive psychology characteristics and family
resilience can help mitigate the impact of these issues; however, fewer studies focus on these
protective factors than on morbidity. Economic uncertainty and social alienation continue to
contribute to youth's vulnerabilities (Shek, 2025).
New York needs to be aware of this public health problem. The mental issues which occur
in adolescence lead to problems throughout their life, considering that the state recorded 1,765
suicides in New York in 2022 (NAMI, 2025). Some of the young people who had fewer pre-
pandemic symptoms experienced greater changes because of the pandemic, thereby underscoring
the magnitude of the community disruption. Tackling this problem through evidence-based
programs will not only promote health equity but also reduce long-term costs and build community
resilience to future challenges (Shek, 2025).
, 3
Literature Review
A2: Literature Review
Source Summary Application Limitations
Xiao, Y., Sharma, M. M., Thiruvalluru, R. K., Xiao et al. (2022) performed research using This paper gives The study will have an
Gimbrone, C., Weissman, M. M., Olfson, M., ... & EHRs from Healthix, the biggest health justification for the impact on NYC and NYS
Pathak, J. (2022). Trends in psychiatric diagnoses information exchange of the NYC provision of psychological communities affected by
by COVID-19 infection and hospitalization among metropolitan area, analyzing EHRs of assistance programs that the pandemic, but there
patients with and without recent clinical 2,358,318 patients who underwent tests for will cater to the needs of are some limitations
psychiatric diagnoses in New York city from SARS-CoV-2 infection from March 2020 the people living in New regarding the applicability
March 2020 to August 2021. Translational until August 2021. The sample was York State and especially of the research to a larger
Psychiatry, 12(1), 492. stratified on the basis of having any pre- New York City. Public audience. First, the sample
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02255-8 COVID-19 psychiatric disorder (within the health practitioners can used in the study comes
last 3 years before the onset of pandemic) utilize the differentiated only from the NYC
and being either infected by the virus or trends based on existing metropolitan area, which
not. The respondents were categorized into psychiatric diagnoses and utilizes EHR data from
four major diagnostic categories including the seriousness of the one health information
anxiety disorders, mood disorders, cases of COVID-19 to exchange, limiting
psychosis, and substance use disorder come up with generalizability to rural
(SUD), using the AHRQ Clinical interventions for the areas or
Classifications Software and ICD-10 codes.
population. For those New York areas. The
Main findings indicate that patients having
without prior diagnoses, methodology is limited by
any recent psychiatric diagnosis before the
emphasis can be placed on the significant amount of
onset of the pandemic had more anxiety,
SUD prevention during missing information on
mood disorders, and psychosis during the
crises and the tracking of race and ethnicity, the use
study period than those who did not have
any signs of anxiety, of ICD-10 codes in the
any recent psychiatric diagnoses. Patients
depression, and psychosis diagnosis of depression
who did not have any recent psychiatric
that arise. These results (and hence the potential
diagnosis had the highest SUDs during the
indicate that it is possible underreporting of
early days of the pandemic, but they had
to create integrated health depression prevalence due
high incidence of anxiety, models involving both to lack of access to
mood disorders, and psychosis after mental and primary care services), and the absence
February 2021. COVID-19 positive with telemedicine, of cause-and-effect
WGU D628 Public Health Graduate
Capstone Task 1
D628: Public Health Graduate Capstone Task
1: Capstone Literature Review
, 2
Identified Community and Public Health Issue
A1: Community and Public Health Issue
My chosen community for the project is New York State, where I reside. The adolescents
and emerging adults in New York have high mental health risks, such as anxiety, depression, and
suicidal thoughts, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. More than 3.27 million adults in New
York suffer from a mental health issue, and 272,000 adolescents suffer from a major depressive
episode every year. Around 170,000 adolescents in New York have serious suicide attempts every
year (NAMI, 2025). A study by De France et al. (2022) indicated that adolescents in New York
exhibited significantly elevated levels of anxiety and depression during the pandemic compared to
pre-pandemic trends. The large and diverse population of the state, which includes cities like New
York City, is still currently dealing with disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Social and economic factors play an important role in the public health problem. Over
3.6 million residents of New York lack adequate access to mental health care providers, and
many adults do not seek treatment due to cost constraints (NAMI, 2025). In terms of effects on
young people, it is evident that pandemic lifestyle factors are a strong predictor of depression and
emotion dysregulation, which are different for males and females in how financial stress and
fear of the virus (De France et al., 2022). Positive psychology characteristics and family
resilience can help mitigate the impact of these issues; however, fewer studies focus on these
protective factors than on morbidity. Economic uncertainty and social alienation continue to
contribute to youth's vulnerabilities (Shek, 2025).
New York needs to be aware of this public health problem. The mental issues which occur
in adolescence lead to problems throughout their life, considering that the state recorded 1,765
suicides in New York in 2022 (NAMI, 2025). Some of the young people who had fewer pre-
pandemic symptoms experienced greater changes because of the pandemic, thereby underscoring
the magnitude of the community disruption. Tackling this problem through evidence-based
programs will not only promote health equity but also reduce long-term costs and build community
resilience to future challenges (Shek, 2025).
, 3
Literature Review
A2: Literature Review
Source Summary Application Limitations
Xiao, Y., Sharma, M. M., Thiruvalluru, R. K., Xiao et al. (2022) performed research using This paper gives The study will have an
Gimbrone, C., Weissman, M. M., Olfson, M., ... & EHRs from Healthix, the biggest health justification for the impact on NYC and NYS
Pathak, J. (2022). Trends in psychiatric diagnoses information exchange of the NYC provision of psychological communities affected by
by COVID-19 infection and hospitalization among metropolitan area, analyzing EHRs of assistance programs that the pandemic, but there
patients with and without recent clinical 2,358,318 patients who underwent tests for will cater to the needs of are some limitations
psychiatric diagnoses in New York city from SARS-CoV-2 infection from March 2020 the people living in New regarding the applicability
March 2020 to August 2021. Translational until August 2021. The sample was York State and especially of the research to a larger
Psychiatry, 12(1), 492. stratified on the basis of having any pre- New York City. Public audience. First, the sample
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02255-8 COVID-19 psychiatric disorder (within the health practitioners can used in the study comes
last 3 years before the onset of pandemic) utilize the differentiated only from the NYC
and being either infected by the virus or trends based on existing metropolitan area, which
not. The respondents were categorized into psychiatric diagnoses and utilizes EHR data from
four major diagnostic categories including the seriousness of the one health information
anxiety disorders, mood disorders, cases of COVID-19 to exchange, limiting
psychosis, and substance use disorder come up with generalizability to rural
(SUD), using the AHRQ Clinical interventions for the areas or
Classifications Software and ICD-10 codes.
population. For those New York areas. The
Main findings indicate that patients having
without prior diagnoses, methodology is limited by
any recent psychiatric diagnosis before the
emphasis can be placed on the significant amount of
onset of the pandemic had more anxiety,
SUD prevention during missing information on
mood disorders, and psychosis during the
crises and the tracking of race and ethnicity, the use
study period than those who did not have
any signs of anxiety, of ICD-10 codes in the
any recent psychiatric diagnoses. Patients
depression, and psychosis diagnosis of depression
who did not have any recent psychiatric
that arise. These results (and hence the potential
diagnosis had the highest SUDs during the
indicate that it is possible underreporting of
early days of the pandemic, but they had
to create integrated health depression prevalence due
high incidence of anxiety, models involving both to lack of access to
mood disorders, and psychosis after mental and primary care services), and the absence
February 2021. COVID-19 positive with telemedicine, of cause-and-effect
