Research focuses on pediatric mental health crisis

As the pediatric mental health emergency continues, its effects on children continues to be a focus of research.

We compiled a list of pediatric mental health stories published in 2023.

Q&A: Pediatricians on front line of mental health crisis

With the country in the midst of a national emergency in pediatric mental health, we spoke with Marian Earls, MD, chair of the AAP’s council on healthy mental and emotional development, about the crisis and the resources available to pediatricians caring for patients with mental health issues. Read more.

Childhood mental health issues linked to difficulties as young adult

“Our analysis shows that mental health problems in childhood are linked with a wide range of functional issues in adulthood, beyond the realms of mental health,” Niamh Dooley, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the department of psychiatry at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RSCI), said in a press release. Read more.

Study: Pediatric mental health emergencies increased with each COVID-19 wave in NYC

Pediatric mental health emergencies increased with each COVID-19 wave in New York City, a study published in Pediatrics found. Read more.

Improving parental mental health can help reduce inequities in kids’ own mental health

Improving the parental mental health and preschool attendance of disadvantaged children reduced socioeconomic differences in their mental health compared with nondisadvantaged peers, an Australian study found. Read more.

‘Surprising’: Most children do not access mental health services after firearm injury

Over three in five affected children do not receive mental health services within 6 months of experiencing a firearm injury, according to a study published in Pediatrics. Read more.

Universal screening helps identify adolescents at risk for suicide

Universal screening helped identify high school students at risk for suicide and made them more likely to engage in mental health treatment, according to study findings published in The Journal of Pediatrics. Read more.

Study: Pandemic-related impact on family finances worsened child mental health

For the first time, a study found a link between the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on family finances and children’s mental health, researchers reported. Specifically, it found that financial disruptions during the pandemic worsened children’s levels of stress, sadness and worries related to COVID-19, with no similar impact seen from school closures, according to findings published in JAMA Network Open. Read more.