What if I told you RSV, COVID19, and flu are not the reasons pediatric hospital beds are full?
RSV, flu, and COVID19 are causing an increase in hospitalizations in every population all over the country and world. This “Tripledemic,” as it’s now being called, has put a strain on hospital and community clinic resources. There is no doubt RSV cases needed hospitalization are rising and as we are the peak of flu season, more patients with flu are needed hospitalization as well. But, what if I told you none of these are the real reason our pediatric hospital units are full? The real reason is unlikely to surprise anyone, which makes it all even more disappointing.
Over the last 5 years, pediatric mental health related inpatient hospitalizations have increased by about 60%. Over the last two years, pediatric depression, self harm, anxiety, and eating disorders have all been increasing dramatically leading to rising mental health related ED visits and subsequently hospitalizations. During the last year alone, ED visits for pediatric patients who attempted suicide rose by about 50%. The biggest and scariest pandemic may be mental health.
It is no surprise mental health conditions have gotten worse since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but mental health concerns, particularly in children, have been on the rise even before the pandemic. Rates of depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts have only gotten worse and the healthcare system is poorly equipped to handle these mental health emergencies and admissions due to lack of access, lack of recourses, and lack of qualified facilities and mental health professionals.
At any given time, it is estimated that 30-50% of a pediatric hospital unit is from a primary mental health diagnosis. Some of these patients need medical care for self harm injuries or malnutrition from an eating disorder. But most are waiting for a space to be available at a facility specializing in pediatric mental health. These pediatric mental health facilities simply cannot keep up with the rising rates of mental health disorders in children and that leads to a build up of pediatric patients waiting in hospitals to maintain their safety and the safety of those around them. If we were able to prevent children from suffering from mental health conditions and better help those with mental health conditions, there would be more resources for pediatric patients needing hospital care for RSV, flu, or COVID-19. Both physical and mental health conditions are serious, can be life threatening, and need health care resources.
Of course, the US is working to add more mental health providers and more pediatric mental health facilities. Providers are hoping to slow the rise of mental health conditions in children by making an early diagnosis and providing the resources as soon as possible.
Here’s what you can do as a parent, gaurdian, or family member:
Talk to your child - Teach your child about emotions and how important it is to share how we feel with those who love us. Whether the emotion is sadness, loneliness, anger, embarrassment, joy, or excitement, sharing emotions with your child and teaching them how to share them back is vital.
Monitor your child - You are a parent, not a best friend. While we love to bond and be friends with our children, monitoring their time spent on social media platforms, television, and with friends is also a part of parenting. Protecting a child from every moment of sadness, anger, or pain is not only unrealistic, but is harmful. Teaching them how to handle those emotions, how to share those emotions, and recognize the cause of those emotions is a priceless lesson. Monitoring your child for how they are feeling and looking for signs of depression can be a full time job, but keeping an eye out for a television show, social media platform or page, or a particular acquaintance that is causing a mental health strain on your child is necessary. People with mental health conditions can seem more isolated, more angry, more lazy, or it can reveal itself in many more ways to those around them. Talk to your child about what you notice, express your emotions, share your concern and find a solution to prevent the mental health strain, even if your child does not agree with your solution.
Talk to your doctor - The United States preventative task force has a new recommendation to screen for depression starting at age 12. Be sure your child’s doctor is kicking the parent or guardian out of the room to ask questions your child may be too embarrassed to tell you. If this isn’t happening at 12, 13, or definitely by 14 years old; it’s not because you have a bad doctor, it’s because your doctor doesn’t have time (see previous posts about how a doctor needs a 27 hour work per day). But, if your child does open up to their doctor, don’t feel bad because they did not feel comfortable telling a family member. There are a million reasons why a child may tell a doctor rather than a parent or grandparent or other family member about a mental health condition. Instead, be proud your child knows how to share their emotions and was brave enough to tell someone to get the help they may need.
If you are concerned about your child’s mental health, please seek help today. Contact Caravel Health DPC to see if we can help. We offer same day or next day appointment to our members and strive to create an honest, trusting realationship with all of our patients of any age.
Best in health,
Dr. Landen B. Green
Caravel Health DPC
