Pediatric mental health is the NUMBER 1 patient-safety concern of 2023.

Did you know that the growing PEDIATRIC mental health crisis is the NUMBER 1 patient-safety concern of 2023?

Some startling statistics:

❗️Child suicide attempts: the number of weekly emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts by children was 39% higher in 2021 compared to 2019.

❗️Anxiety: rates of anxiety in kids ages 3–17 increased by 29% in 2020 compared to 2016

❗️Depression: rates of depression in kids age 3–17 went up by 27% in 2020 compared to 2016

A big issue? Shortage of practicing child psychologists. As of 2019, there were approximately 8,300 practicing child psychologists — and more than 15 million children in need of the support of one (that’s about 1,807 kids per psychologist)

These statistics are courtesy of Heathcare Brew.

Solutions?

👉 better diet and mental health programs in schools

👉 reducing social media time/screen time (recent study on over 27,000 participants has shown that owning a smartphone younger predicts lower: self-worth, motivation, and resilience)

👉 pediatric group therapy

👉 stop putting kids directly on medication as the first line of defense — starting them young, whether on stimulants or SSRIs or benzos, is often unnecessary and causes a lot more harm than good

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