Year: 2025
Type: report
Abstract: Increases in mental health diagnoses and suicidal behaviors in Emergency Departments are often cited as evidence of an accelerating child mental health crisis.We ask whether trends in ED visits provide an accurate picture of changes in U.S. child mental health.These measures have been profoundly affected by changing conventions about screening, defining, and coding of mental illness.We conclude that child mental health has been deteriorating, but not by the startling magnitudes suggested by jumps and trends in some measures such as suicidal ideation.Although reported suicidal behaviors rose 228% from 2006-2021, the true rise in mental health disorders is unlikely to exceed the 66% rise in youth suicide observed over the same period.
DOI: 10.3386/w33550
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4408284168