Pediatric Mental Health Emergency Department Visits Increase by 8%

Researchers in JAMA Pediatrics highlight issues in the nation’s mental health crisis in a new study that found that pediatric mental health emergency department (ED) visits increased by 8% every year between 2015 and 2020. Additional data in the study suggests that approximately 13% of pediatric patients who visit the ED have a second visit within six months

The study gathered data from 38 EDs in United States Children's hospitals. The data was sourced from the Pediatric Health Information System, only including visits between October 1, 2015, and February 29, 2020. The patients’ ages ranged from 3 to 17.

Of the 308,264 mental health ED visits, only 217,865 were unique patients, while the remainder were revisiting. Approximately 13.2% of patients revisited the ED within six months of their initial visit for a mental health concern.

Mental health ED visits accounted for approximately 4% of all ED visits, with the majority of mental health ED visits being for girls (56%). Researchers noted that the visits were for various reasons, with the majority, 28.7%, being for self-harm. Other diagnoses included mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and impulse control disorders.

Researchers also note an annual increase of 8% in mental health ED visits, over five times greater than the overall ED visit increase of 1.5% annually. These rising rates follow a previously acknowledged rise from 2007 to 2016 in which pediatric mental health ED visits increased by 60% in all EDs and 120% in pediatric hospital EDs. These statistics show a need for widened access and focus on mental health services in pediatric settings. 

“Pediatric mental health ED visits and revisits are increasing rapidly. Factors associated with mental health revisits in this cohort study include presenting mental health diagnosis and markers of severe disease and healthcare access. Improved intervention services for patients with a behavioral health crisis are needed on a hospital and systems level to reduce pediatric mental health ED use and ensure access to appropriate follow-up care, with a particular focus on those patients most likely to revisit,” concluded the researchers in the study.