According to an analysis released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday, the number of mental health-related pediatric visits to hospitals is on the rise during the coronavirus epidemic.
CDC data found that visits to mental health emergency rooms increased by 31 per cent in children aged 12 to 17 from March to October compared to the same period in 2019. There was also a 24 per cent increase in emergency room visits for children. Ages 5 and 11.
This increase is due to the fact that the school schedule has been dramatically reduced to prevent the spread of COVID-19, limiting children’s interactions with peers and teachers. In addition, sports and extracurricular activities have been restricted or canceled – conditions that can separate children from home and cause anxiety, depression, lack of sleep, and poor eating habits.
The CDC analyzed hospital data from 47 states with nearly 75 percent of emergency room visits nationwide. One in 85 pediatric visits between March and October in 2019 was related to mental health, compared to one in 60 in 2020.
During the same March-October-October period in 2019, the average number of weekly pediatric emergency room visits was 262,714 and mental health related visits were 3,078. However, during the comparative period in 2020, the analysis received a weekly average of 149,055 visits, including 2,481 mental health-related visits.
Researchers have noted that parents and children are increasingly relying on emergency rooms for those services due to reduced access to institutions such as schools and community clinics.
“Ensuring the availability and access to appropriate mental health services for the development of children outside of the individual ED setting will be important as communities adjust to mitigation strategies. The implementation of preventive activities effectively supports their well-being during the response and recovery recovery period.
“The CDC supports efforts to promote the emotional well-being of children and families and provides families with appropriate resources for development to reduce the stress that can contribute to a child’s mental health-related ED visit,” he continues.
The CDC also noted that boys are more likely to visit the emergency room than boys.
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