Cases of children suffering from serious mental health problems soared during lockdown, particularly among girls, new research reveals.
The study showed that during the pandemic, pediatric emergency departments in the United States saw more youth and adolescents requiring psychiatric admission.
There was also an increase in serious medical conditions, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and substance abuse, according to findings published in Academic Emergency Medicine.
Higher demand for psychiatric inpatient beds has often exceeded availability, resulting in stays of more than 12 hours in emergency departments (EDs) awaiting admission for nearly 20 percent of children in 2022, compared to seven percent before the pandemic.
Lead author Jennifer Hoffmann said: “Our data shows that pediatric emergency departments experienced more serious mental health presentations during the pandemic, even though the actual number of visits decreased in 2022.
“The dramatic increase in extended emergency room stays demonstrates the strain on the system and the difficulties in finding appropriate psychiatric care for children, whether in hospital or in the community. »
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They divided the numbers into three different periods: pre-pandemic (January 2017 – February 2020), start of the pandemic (March 2020 – December 2020), mid-pandemic (2021) and end of the pandemic (2022).
In addition to the increased severity of mental health emergencies, the research team also found that during the middle and end of the pandemic, emergency department visits for mental health problems increased beyond expected rates in girls, but not in boys.
Dr. Hoffmann, who is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicineadded: “We observed a unique vulnerability for girls during the pandemic, indicating that girls’ mental health requires more attention. »
