Pediatricians say the mental health crisis among kids has become a national emergency

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Overall, the data shows that in 2020, emergency department visits for mental health emergencies rose by 24% for children between the ages of 5 and 11, and 31% for those 12-17.

«Young people have endured so much throughout this pandemic and while much of the attention is often placed on its physical health consequences, we cannot overlook the escalating mental health crisis facing our patients,» AAP President Dr. Lee Savio Beers said in a statement.

The crisis effects children of color even more

The declaration from the pediatric groups notes that the disruptions children and families have experienced during the pandemic have disproportionately affected children of color.

A recent study in the journal Pediatrics showed 140,000 children lost a parent or grandparent caregiver from COVID-19. A majority of those children were kids of color.

The study showed that, compared to white children, Native American children were 4.5 times more likely to have lost a primary caregiver; Black children were 2.4 times more likely and Hispanic children nearly twice as likely.

«We are caring for young people with soaring rates of depression, anxiety, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality that will have lasting impacts on them, their families, their communities, and all of our futures,» said Dr. Gabrielle Carlson, president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry said.

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Pediatric leaders are urging policymakers to invest in telemedicine and mental health in schools

The declaration calls for policymakers on the local and federal level to fund and improve mental health for children when it comes to screening, diagnosing and treatment. Access to telemedicine and mental health care in schools should be a priority, the letter says. The groups also want to address the challenge of children experiencing a shortage of beds in emergency care.

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The Biden Administration announced in August plans to invest nearly $85 million in funding for mental health awareness, training and treatment for children.