CENTRAL, Texas — As teens and children make their way back to the classroom, emergency rooms are backlogged with a growing number of pediatric mental health patients.
The surge of patients is overwhelming three major medical groups—The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American College of Emergency Physicians and the Emergency Nurses Association, who are calling it a pediatric mental health crisis. Doctors explained how they aren't equipped to handle the volume of patients. Now, they are urgently calling on local communities to help and increase mental health access services before going to the ER is needed.
A San Diego pediatrician said the number of children seeking psychiatric emergency care went from 30 cases in one month, to that same number in a single day.
Doug Vance, President of the Brazos Valley Coalition of Suicide Prevention, shared how the organization works to alleviate this stress in emergency rooms, to normalize feelings we all experience at times and to save children that make up all communities.
"Everybody struggles to some point with mental health, and with anxiety and depression," said Vance. "There's way too many instances of young children 9, 10, 11, 12 that are dying by suicide. Almost unheard of 25 years ago."
Vance says it is important to teach kids and teens how to process all feelings that come with life.
"I think it's vital that the community realizes we're here," said Vance. "We teach resiliency skills, help prepare kids for loss and difficulties and challenges this world's gonna bring, not just as children, but as adults."
Vance cited events like Uvalde, COVID and an online life further distorting the reality of many children as contributing factors.
"It's one thing to have 500 friends on Facebook, it's another thing to have 2 to 3 really good friends in person," said Vance.
So, pushing mental health talk forward in communities will save more children.
"It's important that we build healthy mental health and support in our children from a young age, from grade school and all the way up to adulthood," said Vance.
Much like the saying, 'No child will get left behind.'
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