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- Title
Mental Health Revisits at US Pediatric Emergency Departments.
- Authors
Cushing, Anna M.; Liberman, Danica B.; Pham, Phung K.; Michelson, Kenneth A.; Festekjian, Ara; Chang, Todd P.; Chaudhari, Pradip P.
- Abstract
Key Points: Question: What are the trends in pediatric mental health emergency department (ED) visits and factors associated with pediatric mental health ED revisits? Findings: This cohort study included more than 200 000 children seen at 38 US children's hospitals from 2015 to 2020. Mental health ED visits increased by 8% annually, with 13% of patients revisiting within 6 months; markers of disease severity and health care access were associated with revisits. Meaning: These findings suggest that pediatric mental health ED visits and revisits are increasing, and identifying patients at high risk of revisit provides an opportunity for tailored interventions to improve mental health care delivery. This cohort study uses Pediatric Health Information System data to describe trends in mental health pediatric emergency department revisits. Importance: Pediatric emergency department (ED) visits for mental health crises are increasing. Patients who frequently use the ED are of particular concern, as pediatric mental health ED visits are commonly repeat visits. Better understanding of trends and factors associated with mental health ED revisits is needed for optimal resource allocation and targeting of prevention efforts. Objective: To describe trends in pediatric mental health ED visits and revisits and to determine factors associated with revisits. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cohort study, data were obtained from 38 US children's hospital EDs in the Pediatric Health Information System between October 1, 2015, and February 29, 2020. The cohort included patients aged 3 to 17 years with a mental health ED visit. Exposures: Characteristics of patients, encounters, hospitals, and communities. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was a mental health ED revisit within 6 months of the index visit. Trends were assessed using cosinor analysis and factors associated with time to revisit using mixed-effects Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: There were 308 264 mental health ED visits from 217 865 unique patients, and 13.2% of patients had a mental health revisit within 6 months. Mental health visits increased by 8.0% annually (95% CI, 4.5%-11.4%), whereas all other ED visits increased by 1.5% annually (95% CI, 0.1%-2.9%). Factors associated with mental health ED revisits included psychiatric comorbidities, chemical restraint use, public insurance, higher area measures of child opportunity, and presence of an inpatient psychiatric unit at the presenting hospital. Patients with psychotic disorders (hazard ratio [HR], 1.42; 95% CI, 1.29-1.57), disruptive or impulse control disorders (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.30-1.42), and neurodevelopmental disorders (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.14-1.30) were more likely to revisit. Patients with substance use disorders (HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.55-0.66) were less likely to revisit. Conclusions and Relevance: Markers of disease severity and health care access were associated with mental health revisits. Directing hospital and community interventions toward identified high-risk patients is needed to help mitigate recurrent mental health ED use and improve mental health care delivery.
- Subjects
UNITED States; HOSPITAL emergency services; CONFIDENCE intervals; HEALTH services accessibility; CHILDREN'S hospitals; PSYCHOSES; PATIENT readmissions; MEDICAL care; SEVERITY of illness index; IMPULSE control disorders; CHILD psychopathology; MENTAL health services; LONGITUDINAL method; PROPORTIONAL hazards models
- Publication
JAMA Pediatrics, 2023, Vol 177, Issue 2, p168
- ISSN
2168-6203
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4885