Mental health crisis worsening in pandemic

Mental health is a significant concern in the Capital Region and has been identified as a forefront issue by the Capital District Community Health Needs Assessment year after year. The Capital Region has higher rates of emergency department visits (15,250) and hospitalizations (6,500) for mental health concerns than the average in greater New York state (excluding New York City).

Mental health disorders have significant morbidity and mortality for the individual person, not to mention significant socioeconomic impacts within the community. These are health concerns with evidencebased treatments. The issue here in the Capital Region and even nationally is access to mental health care.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought these cracks in the system to light. Now more than ever, we as pediatricians are seeing mental health concerns as one of the top reasons children are coming to our hospitals and outpatient clinics. This has created a sort of bottleneck effect: an increasing number of children with mental health concerns and an overwhelmed system with too few outlets for psychiatric care. Where do these children go in crisis?

Unfortunately, they are boarding in our emergency departments awaiting inpatient psychiatric placement. A recent study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics Journal revealed that these children typically wait five to 41 hours in the emergency department and two to three days on the inpatient wards before finding placement. Not only does this significantly impact the health and well-being of these patients, but it is a significant burden on the medical system and, economically, on society.

This issue has reached our Assembly via bill A4837, which seeks to establish a division for mental health treatment equity. This bill is just one step toward addressing the mental health crisis plaguing the Capital Region.

Kristy M. Wilkinson,

MD Colonie