Back to Search
Start Over
Emergency department visits and hospital admissions for suicidal ideation, self-poisoning and self-harm among adolescents in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Source :
- CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal. September 18, 2023, Vol. 195 Issue 36, pE1221, 10 p.
- Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had profound effects on the mental wellbeing of adolescents. We sought to evaluate pandemic-related changes in health care use for suicidal ideation, self-poisoning and self-harm. Methods: We obtained data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information on emergency department visits and hospital admissions from April 2015 to March 2022 among adolescents aged 10-18 years in Canada. We calculated the quarterly percentage of emergency department visits and hospital admissions for a composite outcome comprising suicidal ideation, self-poisoning and self-harm relative to all-cause emergency department visits and hospital admissions. We used interrupted time-series methods to compare changes in levels and trends of these outcomes between the prepandemic (Apr. 1, 2015Mar. 1, 2020) and pandemic (Apr. 1, 2020Mar. 31, 2022) periods. Results: The average quarterly percentage of emergency department visits for suicidal ideation, self-poisoning and self-harm relative to all-cause emergency department visits was 2.30% during the prepandemic period and 3.52% during the pandemic period. The level (0.08%, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.79% to 0.95%) or trend (0.07% per quarter, 95% CI -0.14% to 0.28%) of this percentage did not change significantly between periods. The average quarterly percentage of hospital admissions for the composite outcome relative to all-cause admissions was 7.18% during the prepandemic period and 8.96% during the pandemic period. This percentage showed no significant change in level (-0.70%, 95% CI -1.90% to 0.50%), but did show a significantly increasing trend (0.36% per quarter; 95% 0.07% to 0.65%) during the pandemic versus prepandemic periods, specifically among females aged 10-14 years (0.76% per quarter, 95% CI 0.22% to 1.30%) and females aged 15-18 years (0.56% per quarter, 95% CI 0.31% to 0.81%). Interpretation: The quarterly change in the percentage of hospital admissions for suicidal ideation, self-poisoning and self-harm increased among adolescent females in Canada during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. This underscores the need to promote public health policies that mitigate the impact of the pandemic on adolescent mental health.<br />The World Health Organization declared the global COVID-19 pandemic on Mar. 11, 2020. In response, Canada's governments restricted in-person education, limited public and private gatherings and closed nonessential businesses. (1,2) [...]
- Subjects :
- Medical care -- Utilization
Suicidal behavior -- Usage -- Social aspects
Poisoning -- Usage -- Social aspects
Hospitals -- Admission and discharge -- Emergency service
Medical policy -- Usage -- Social aspects
Public health -- Social aspects -- Usage
Evidence-based medicine -- Social aspects -- Usage
Teenage girls -- Usage -- Social aspects
Health
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 08203946
- Volume :
- 195
- Issue :
- 36
- Database :
- Gale General OneFile
- Journal :
- CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal
- Publication Type :
- Periodical
- Accession number :
- edsgcl.768540187
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.220507