Physician Groups Beg For Help With Emergency Rooms Flooded By Children In Psychiatric Crisis
Anxiety, depression, and suicide attempts are common causes.
By Mairead Elordi
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Aug 19, 2023 DailyWire.com
Emergency room doctors and pediatricians are pleading for help with a flood of children and teenagers showing up at emergency rooms due to mental health issues.
A surge of mental health emergencies among children has overwhelmed emergency rooms, according to a joint paper released Wednesday by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and Emergency Nurses Association (ENA).
The children showing up in crisis are often suffering from emergencies related to anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts or attempts, the groups said.
“The ER has become a de facto referral center for all of these problems, and there’s too many of them for the emergency department to manage,” said lead author Dr. Mohsen Saidinejad, who directs pediatric emergency medicine at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Saidinejad is also a member of the AAP and ACEP committees on pediatric emergency medicine.
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