Citation

Cutler GJ, Bergmann KR, Doupnik SK, Hoffmann JA, Neuman MI, Rodean J, Zagel AL, Zima BT. Acad. Pediatr. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Academic Pediatric Association, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.acap.2022.03.015

PMID

35351651

PMCID

PMC8957359

Abstract

During the last decade, pediatric emergency department (ED) visits for mental health (MH) conditions have risen dramatically. We recently described trends in pediatric ED visits for primary MH vs. non-MH conditions in 35 tertiary care children's hospitals in the United States (U.S.), and examined the effects of an inpatient psychiatric unit on patient disposition. From 2012 to 2016, increases in ED MH visits were four times greater than non-MH visits, and the rise was primarily driven by visits for depression, suicide, or self-injury. Fewer than half of children's hospitals had an inpatient psychiatric unit, and patients with a MH ED visit at hospitals with an inpatient psychiatric unit were more likely to be hospitalized and less likely to require transfer than those cared for at hospitals without. Since the publication of our study, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental and emotional well-being of children and adolescents worldwide. In this report, we consider our findings in light of more recent data, discuss the impact of the pandemic on pediatric MH, and identify critical areas for future research.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescent; Child; Suicide; Self-Injurious Behavior; COVID-19; Emergency Service, Hospital; Hospitals, Psychiatric; Mental Disorders; Mental Health Services