Pandemic Boosts ER Visits For Mental Health, Substance Use And Child Abuse

By Nicholas Gerbis
Published: Monday, February 8, 2021 - 5:05am
Updated: Monday, February 8, 2021 - 7:55am

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A sign points the way to the emergency department
Sky Schaudt/KJZZ
A sign points the way to the emergency department at an Arizona hospital.

Experts worry anxiety over the pandemic and its economic impacts, coupled with the effects of social isolation, may worsen rates of mental health problems, substance use and child abuse.

A new study of emergency room visits lends credence to their concerns.

When the authors of the JAMA Psychiatry study compared mid-March through October 2020 to the same period in 2019, they found the median rates of ER visits for mental health conditions, suicide attempts, drug and opioid overdoses, and child abuse and neglect were significantly higher during the pandemic.

Even when other ER trips diminished during the mid-March lockdown, the visits in question decreased less, which could mean patient's conditions were serious enough to warrant risking exposure.

The authors say the findings underscore the need for messaging, screening and interventions at all levels, and call for making more key services available remotely.

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