Trends in Emergency Department Visits

Emergency Department (ED) Visits Resulting in Mental Health Diagnosis by Age Group

Adolescents and adults of all ages are seeking assistance at emergency departments at an increasing rate for mental health struggles, however the sharpest increases have been in adolescents, according to Genevieve Santillanes and colleagues at USC’s Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics.

Research published in 2020 by USC’s Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics examined trends in pediatric and adult emergency department visits associated with mental health. During the period from 2009 to 2015, visits increased by 56.4% for pediatric patients and 40.8% for adults. Together, children and adults accounted for nearly 8 million visits in 2009, and in 2015 the number grew to over 11 million total visits. Notably, about one-third of visits by adolescents aged 15-17 resulted in admission or transfer (patient is admitted to the hospital for further evaluation or monitoring after the emergency visit). Average length of stay also increased substantially for mental health related visits. Since 2015, several published studies across the US in different states point to a further increase in emergency room visits for mental health related reasons, with sharper increases during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to tracking data collected by the CDC. To learn more about the decline in adolescent and young adult mental health, visit our page about Modern Society, Mental Health, and Well-Being.