Abstract
In October, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children's Hospital Association called for urgent attention to child and adolescent mental health during COVID‐19, noting that children and families “have experienced enormous adversity and disruption.” The pandemic has compounded problems of “the inequities that result from structural racism” which has disproportionately affected children from communities of color, according to the declaration from the three organizations.
In October, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children's Hospital Association called for urgent attention to child and adolescent mental health during COVID‐19, noting that children and families “have experienced enormous adversity and disruption.” The pandemic has compounded problems of “the inequities that result from structural racism” which has disproportionately affected children from communities of color, according to the declaration from the three organizations.
Rates of childhood mental health concerns and suicide rose steadily between 2010 and 2020; by 2018, suicide was the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10–24. “The pandemic has intensified this crisis: across the country we have witnessed dramatic increases in Emergency Department visits for all mental health emergencies including suspected suicide attempts,” the declaration states.
Advocacy is urged by all three organizations for the following:
Increase federal funding dedicated to ensuring all families and children, from infancy through adolescence, can access evidence‐based mental health screening, diagnosis, and treatment to appropriately address their mental health needs, with particular emphasis on meeting the needs of under‐resourced populations.
Address regulatory challenges and improve access to technology to assure continued availability of telemedicine to provide mental health care to all populations.
Increase implementation and sustainable funding of effective models of school‐based mental health care, including clinical strategies and models for payment.
Accelerate adoption of effective and financially sustainable models of integrated mental health care in primary care pediatrics, including clinical strategies and models for payment.
Strengthen emerging efforts to reduce the risk of suicide in children and adolescents through prevention programs in schools, primary care, and community settings.
Address the ongoing challenges of the acute care needs of children and adolescents, including shortage of beds and emergency room boarding by expanding access to step‐down programs from inpatient units, short‐stay stabilization units, and community‐based response teams.
Fully fund comprehensive, community‐based systems of care that connect families in need of behavioral health services and supports for their child with evidence‐based interventions in their home, community, or school.
Promote and pay for trauma‐informed care services that support relational health and family resilience.
Accelerate strategies to address longstanding workforce challenges in child mental health, including innovative training programs, loan repayment, and intensified efforts to recruit underrepresented populations into mental health professions as well as attention to the impact that the public health crisis has had on the well‐being of health professionals.
Advance policies that ensure compliance with and enforcement of mental health parity laws.