Boarding Common for Pediatric Mental Health Emergency Department Visits
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, June 6, 2025 -- One-third of pediatric mental health emergency department visits resulting in admission or transfer exceeded 12 hours, according to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open.
Jennifer A. Hoffmann, M.D., from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and colleagues assessed characteristics associated with boarding among pediatric mental health emergency department visits using data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (2018 to 2022). The analysis included 5.9 million pediatric mental health emergency department visits.
The researchers found that 25.2 percent of visits resulted in admission or transfer, and of those, 32.1 percent had length ≥12 hours. Odds of boarding were lower for visits by 10- to 14-year-olds (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.19) than for 15- to 17-year-olds, for visits by patients identifying as non-Hispanic other (aOR, 0.06) versus non-Hispanic White patients, for visits with private insurance (aOR, 0.31) versus public insurance, and for visits on weekends (aOR, 0.27) versus weekdays.
"Our study underscores significant issues with access to mental health care for children and adolescents, who often face prolonged emergency department stays because a psychiatric bed is not available," Hoffmann said in a statement. "As the youth mental health crisis continues, we have been seeing more severe psychiatric conditions in the emergency department. Most of these kids seek emergency care at adult hospitals, which often have more limited pediatric resources compared to children's hospitals and might not be prepared to provide the necessary supports."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2025
Read this next
32 Percent of U.S. Adults Consumed Fast Food on a Given Day in 2021 to 2023
FRIDAY, June 27, 2025 -- Over 30 percent of adults and children consumed fast food on a given day during August 2021 to August 2023, according to two reports from the National...
Disparities Seen in Continuous Glucose Monitor Rx by Language Preference
FRIDAY, June 27, 2025 -- For patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), disparities in continuous glucose monitor (CGM) prescriptions are seen by language preference, with less access...
Survey Shows Few Adults Recognize Testicular Cancer as Affecting Young Men
FRIDAY, June 27, 2025 -- Only one in 10 U.S. adults correctly identified testicular cancer as most commonly affecting men under age 40, according to a survey released June16 by...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.