Kaiser Health News (11/12, Reese) reports, “ERs throughout California are reporting a sharp increase in adolescents and young adults seeking care for a mental health crisis.” In 2018, the state’s “ERs treated 84,584 young patients ages 13 to 21 who had a primary diagnosis involving mental health,” which “is up from 59,705 in 2012, a 42% increase, according to data provided by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.” The article adds that the increase “in youth mental health visits corresponds with a recent survey” by the American Psychological Association “that found that members of ‘Generation Z’ – defined in the survey as people born since 1997 – are more likely than other generations to report their mental health as fair or poor.” This “trend corresponds with another alarming development, as well: a marked increase in suicides among teens and young adults.”
Related Links:
— “More Adolescents Seek Medical Care For Mental Health Issues, “Phillip Reese, Kaiser Health News, November 12, 2019