⚕️ Emergency Room Doctors Raise Alarm Over Rising Pediatric Mental Health Crisis
Children as Young as Five Overwhelm Emergency Departments Nationwide
Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.
The pediatric mental health crisis is escalating at an alarming rate, overwhelming emergency departments nationwide. Three influential groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Emergency Nurses Association, have released a joint policy statement calling for more support and resources.
"The scope of this problem is really great," warns Dr. Mohsen Saidinejad, a professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles. "But our ability to solve it is not there."
The number of children with mental or behavioral health conditions evaluated in emergency departments has increased over the past decade. Approximately half a million children, some as young as five, are seen in emergency rooms each year, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Dr. Willough Jenkins, medical director of emergency and consultation liaison psychiatry at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, has witnessed the surge firsthand. The number of kids seeking psychiatric emergency care in her ER has grown from about 30 a month to 30 a day.
"This crisis is only getting worse," Jenkins says. "It's not getting better."
"The scope of this problem is really great," warns Dr. Mohsen Saidinejad, a professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles. "But our ability to solve it is not there."
The number of children with mental or behavioral health conditions evaluated in emergency departments has increased over the past decade. Approximately half a million children, some as young as five, are seen in emergency rooms each year, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Dr. Willough Jenkins, medical director of emergency and consultation liaison psychiatry at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, has witnessed the surge firsthand. The number of kids seeking psychiatric emergency care in her ER has grown from about 30 a month to 30 a day.
"This crisis is only getting worse," Jenkins says. "It's not getting better."
A February study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found an "unprecedented level of hopelessness" and suicidal thoughts among the nation's youth. The majority of these children are coming in with depression, anxiety, and trauma.
Emergency departments, however, are not equipped to handle mental health crises. While they can address mental health issues at a basic level, emergency staffs typically lack the resources to manage long-term cases.
The joint policy statement from the AAP, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Emergency Nurses Association recommends several courses of action, including:
Developing community-based teams to respond to pediatric mental health crises.
Adding pediatric mental health professionals to emergency departments.
Support emergency department staff with information specific to high-risk groups, such as abuse victims, post-traumatic stress, depression, and LGBTQ youth.
The plea for help from emergency room doctors underscores the urgent need for collaboration and resources to tackle the growing pediatric mental health crisis. As children as young as five continue to flood emergency departments with mental health complaints, the call for action becomes more pressing.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
