Race, Sex, Age Influence Pediatric Mental Health Emergency Visits
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 25, 2023 -- For children and adolescents, mental health disorder-related emergency department (ED) visits are higher among adolescents, girls, and Black non-Hispanics versus Hispanics, according to a study published online Oct. 24 in the National Health Statistics Reports, a publication from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Loredana Santo, M.D., M.P.H., from the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, and colleagues derived nationally representative estimates from data collected in the 2018 to 2021 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to describe emergency department visits related to mental health disorders among children and adolescents.
The researchers found that an annual average of 1,026,000 visits were made by children and adolescents with a diagnosis of a mental health disorder from 2018 to 2021, representing 14.0 emergency department visits per 1,000 children and adolescents. Mental health disorder-related visits were higher among adolescents (age 12 to 17 years) than children (younger than 12 years; 30.7 versus 5.3), among girls than boys (16.1 versus 12.1), and among Black non-Hispanic versus Hispanic children and adolescents (20.8 versus 13.2). At mental health-related emergency department visits, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and behavioral and emotional disorders were the most frequent diagnoses. The primary expected source of payment was Medicaid at 60.2 percent of the visits. Of the children and adolescents visiting the emergency department with any diagnosis of a mental health disorder, about one-quarter received at least one psychiatric medication.
"During 2018 to 2021, emergency department visit rates for mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and behavioral and emotional disorders were higher than visit rates for the other mental health disorders assessed," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted October 2023
Read this next
Teen Smartphone Use Positively Tied to Mood
THURSDAY, May 30, 2024 -- Adolescent smartphone use is positively associated with mood, according to a study published online May 29 in PLOS ONE. Matt Minich, Ph.D., and...
Short Sleep Duration Throughout Childhood Tied to Psychosis Risk in Young Adulthood
WEDNESDAY, May 29, 2024 -- Persistent shorter sleep duration across childhood may be a risk factor for subsequent psychosis in young adulthood, according to a study published...
Early-Life Air, Noise Pollution Exposure Tied to Later Mental Health Issues
WEDNESDAY, May 29, 2024 -- Early-life air and noise pollution exposure are prospectively associated with three common mental health problems from adolescence to young adulthood...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.