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Pandemic Triggered ‘Avalanche’ of Kids and Teens With Mental Health Problems — But They Have Nowhere to Go

Medical experts across the country say the mental health of children deteriorated during the pandemic — with a large number of children taking up beds in emergency rooms due to a shortage of placements, providers and resources to combat the crisis.
By Megan Redshaw

Excerpt:

In May, Children’s Hospital in Colorado declared a “state of emergency” as kids being treated for anxiety doubled, depression numbers tripled and substance abuse and eating disorders increased compared to pre-pandemic levels.

“We really have never seen anything like this rapid growth in kids presenting with mental health problems and the severity of those problems,” said Jenna Glover, director of psychology training at Children’s Hospital Colorado. “I’ve never seen this in my entire career.”

Other hospitals saw even bigger increases. In January, Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, saw a 300% increase in the number of behavioral health emergency admissions since April 2020.

Full article:

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/covid-pandemic-kids-teens-mental-health-problems/

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