From 2009 to 2019, Canadian hospitals saw a 60.6% increase in children’s emergency-room use for mental health concerns and a 59.7% increase in inpatient admissions. These Canadian data also reveal that ER use and hospitalizations have varied considerably based on children’s age, gender and place of residence. Youth aged 15 to 17 have the highest rates of both ER visits and hospitalizations among young people. The lack of community-based mental health resources for teens may be a possible reason for the disproportionate rates. And among these older teens, girls were twice as likely to be hospitalized as boys. As well, children from rural communities accessed ERs at rates that were nearly 50% higher than those from urban centres. Reasons for higher rural ER use may include a lack of mental health specialists and limited service options in these regions, as well as lengthy travel to access community-based services.

BC data tell a similar story. Here, children’s hospitalizations for mental disorders increased by 68.8% between 2009 and 2019. Notably, these substantial increases occurred despite there being more effective ways to support children. Overall, these data suggest that hospitals are becoming a de facto safety net for the many young people who experience “fragmented care and significant gaps in mental health service systems.”

For more information, see Vol. 16, No. 3 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.