The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) has released updated data about the use of mental health services by children and youth in Canada.
According to CIHI, the prevalence of mental disorders among children and youth is unchanged over time, yet between 2006–2007 and 2015–2016, there has been a 56 percent increase in visits to the emergency department and a 47 percent increase in hospitalizations. At the same time, there’s been an 18 percent decrease in hospitalizations for other conditions.
The updated data is a follow-up to a 2015 report in which CIHI had reported that emergency department visits and hospitalizations for mental disorders among children and youth were significantly increasing, particularly in Ontario.
Other studies have found that less than 1 in 4 children with mental disorders receive specialized treatment, a theme echoed in the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s 2010 report, Evergreen: A Child and Youth Mental Health Framework for Canada.
For more information see CIHI.