Parents may not immediately think about their children’s mental health and well-being as a top concern. Often, one worries more about children’s’ physical health and safety. However, according to ECRI, an independent, nonprofit health care organization, the pediatric mental health crisis tops its 2023 list of most pressing patient safety concerns. “While rates of depression and anxiety in children have increased since 2017, the COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the situation to crisis levels,” states the report.
A study published in JAMA Pediatrics noted that rates of anxiety and depression in children aged 3 to 17 increased by 29 [percent] and 27 [percent], respectively, in 2020 compared with 2016. Furthermore, “the mean weekly number of emergency department visits for adolescent suspected suicide attempts was 39 [percent] higher in winter 2021 than in winter 2019, according to the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC),” the report states.
“Even before COVID-19, the impact of social media, gun violence and other socioeconomic factors were causing elevated rates of depression and anxiety in children,” said Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD, president and CEO of ECRI. “The challenges caused by the pandemic turned a bad situation into a crisis. We’re approaching a national public health emergency.”
According to the report, “the solutions to these challenges are usually complex and require a systems-based approach that considers the impact that strong leadership, patient and family engagement, focus on workforce safety, and a robust learning system can have on safety.”
For more information, visit www.ecri.org.
