Pediatric Mental Health Crisis: Current Guidelines and Adjustments

Pediatric anxiety, depression, and suicide rates are on the rise across the U.S. and Ohio. This mental health crisis has placed significant burden on both the emergency department and primary care providers. The emergency department does not have the resources for the long-term care of pediatric patients struggling with mental health. Furthermore, primary care providers do not feel their training has equipped them to manage the psychiatric conditions plaguing today’s youth. To help address this crisis and decreased the number of patients resorting to emergency care, primary care and pediatric residency programs can implement seminars, simulations, and trauma-informed care trainings. Additionally, robust screening protocols, discussions about pediatric mental health in office, and increasing connections between physicians and mental health services will ensure patients are appropriately screened, diagnosed, and treated for psychiatric conditions.