Citation

Harris E. J. Am. Med. Assoc. JAMA 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, American Medical Association)

DOI

10.1001/jama.2023.10403

PMID

37314782

Abstract

About 63% of children enrolled in Medicaid do not receive mental health services within 6 months of surviving a firearm injury despite being at heightened risk for mental health conditions, according to data from 2613 children aged 5 to 17 years who experienced firearm injuries.

Moreover, Black children were less likely to receive mental health care than White children postinjury, as were children with no prior contact with mental health services.

For the 958 children in the study who did access mental health services, the most common new diagnoses were substance-related and addictive disorders as well as trauma and stressor-related disorders. "[P]ediatricians might consider prioritizing screening for these conditions after firearm injuries," the researchers wrote in Pediatrics...

Language: en