February 4, 2021

Trends in US Emergency Department Visits for Mental Health, Overdose, and Violence Outcomes Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Public Health Policy and Practice

Keywords (Tags): public health

The median proportion of US emergency department (ED) visits that were related to mental health conditions, suicide attempts, all drug and opioid overdoses, and suspected child abuse and neglect (SCAN) were significantly higher from mid-March to October 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, based on a cross-sectional study of nearly 190 million visits using data from the CDC’s National Syndromic Surveillance Program. In contrast, the proportion of visits due to intimate partner violence (IPV) was similar in the 2019 and 2020 time periods. Median visit counts for suicide attempts, all drug and opioid overdoses, IPV, and SCAN were significantly higher in the 2020 than 2019 time periods.

Holland et al. (Feb 3, 2021). Trends in US Emergency Department Visits for Mental Health, Overdose, and Violence Outcomes Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Psychiatry. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2775991