Rise in ED visits reflects low priority for child mental health: study
Desperate parents face barriers to publicly funded services, say researchers
A complete shake-up of the health system is needed to better care for children with mental health disorders in the community rather than clogging EDs, Australian researchers say.
Three studies, led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in Melbourne, have highlighted treatment gaps in the community in Victoria, where paediatric mental health-related visits to ED have increased by 6.5% each year between 2008-09 and 2014-15.
The rise was three times faster than that of physical health presentations, despite