Correlates of child mental health and substance use related emergency department visits in Ontario: A linked population survey and administrative health data study
Introduction Knowledge of the sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics of children visiting emergency departments (EDs) for mental health or substance use concerns in Ontario, Canada is lacking. Objectives Using data from a population-based survey linked at the individual level...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Swansea University
2023-08-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Population Data Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ijpds.org/article/view/2152 |
| _version_ | 1797419760101621760 |
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| author | Jinette Comeau Li Wang Laura Duncan Jordan Edwards Katholiki Georgiades Kelly K. Anderson Piotr Wilk Tammy Lau |
| author_facet | Jinette Comeau Li Wang Laura Duncan Jordan Edwards Katholiki Georgiades Kelly K. Anderson Piotr Wilk Tammy Lau |
| author_sort | Jinette Comeau |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
Knowledge of the sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics of children visiting emergency departments (EDs) for mental health or substance use concerns in Ontario, Canada is lacking.
Objectives
Using data from a population-based survey linked at the individual level to administrative health data, this study leverages a provincially representative sample and quasi-experimental design to strengthen inferences regarding the extent to which children's sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics are associated with the risk of a mental health or substance use related ED visit.
Methods
9,301 children aged 4-17 years participating in the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study were linked retrospectively (6 months) and prospectively (12 months) with administrative health data on ED visits from the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System. Modified Poisson regression was used to examine correlates of mental health and substance use related ED visits among children aged 4-17 years over a 12-month period following their survey completion date, adjusting for ED visits in the 6 months prior to their survey completion date. Subgroup analyses of youths aged 14-17 years who independently completed survey content related to peer victimisation, substance use, and suicidality were also conducted.
Results
Among children aged 4-17 years, older age, parental immigrant status, internalising problems, and perceived need for professional help were statistically significant correlates that increased the risk of a mental health or substance use related ED visit; low-income and suicidal ideation with attempt were statistically significant only among youths aged 14-17 years.
Conclusions
Knowledge of the sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics of children visiting EDs for mental health and substance use related concerns is required to better understand patient needs to coordinate effective emergency mental health care that optimises child outcomes, and to inform the development and targeting of upstream interventions that have the potential to prevent avoidable ED visits.
Highlights
• Growing rates of child mental health and substance use related ED visits have been observed internationally.
• A population-based survey linked at the individual level to administrative health data was used to examine the extent to which children’s sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics are associated with the risk of a mental health or substance use related ED visit in Ontario, Canada.
• Older age, low-income, parental immigrant status, perceived need for professional help, internalising problems, and suicidality increase the risk of an ED visit.
• Knowledge of the characteristics of children visiting EDs can be used to coordinate effective emergency mental health care that optimises child outcomes, and to inform the development and targeting of upstream interventions that have the potential to prevent avoidable ED visits.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:51:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-319bf1161a084d77a93d62ba605c2503 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2399-4908 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:51:54Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Swansea University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Population Data Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-319bf1161a084d77a93d62ba605c25032023-12-03T10:22:16ZengSwansea UniversityInternational Journal of Population Data Science2399-49082023-08-018110.23889/ijpds.v8i1.2152Correlates of child mental health and substance use related emergency department visits in Ontario: A linked population survey and administrative health data studyJinette Comeau0Li Wang1Laura Duncan2Jordan Edwards3Katholiki Georgiades4Kelly K. Anderson5Piotr Wilk6Tammy Lau7King's University College at Western University, London, ON, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, Division of Children's Health and Therapeutics, Lawson Health Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, CanadaOfford Centre for Child Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, CanadaOfford Centre for Child Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, CanadaOfford Centre for Child Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, CanadaOfford Centre for Child Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, CanadaChildren's Health Research Institute, Division of Children's Health and Therapeutics, Lawson Health Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, CanadaChildren's Health Research Institute, Division of Children's Health and Therapeutics, Lawson Health Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada; Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada Introduction Knowledge of the sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics of children visiting emergency departments (EDs) for mental health or substance use concerns in Ontario, Canada is lacking. Objectives Using data from a population-based survey linked at the individual level to administrative health data, this study leverages a provincially representative sample and quasi-experimental design to strengthen inferences regarding the extent to which children's sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics are associated with the risk of a mental health or substance use related ED visit. Methods 9,301 children aged 4-17 years participating in the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study were linked retrospectively (6 months) and prospectively (12 months) with administrative health data on ED visits from the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System. Modified Poisson regression was used to examine correlates of mental health and substance use related ED visits among children aged 4-17 years over a 12-month period following their survey completion date, adjusting for ED visits in the 6 months prior to their survey completion date. Subgroup analyses of youths aged 14-17 years who independently completed survey content related to peer victimisation, substance use, and suicidality were also conducted. Results Among children aged 4-17 years, older age, parental immigrant status, internalising problems, and perceived need for professional help were statistically significant correlates that increased the risk of a mental health or substance use related ED visit; low-income and suicidal ideation with attempt were statistically significant only among youths aged 14-17 years. Conclusions Knowledge of the sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics of children visiting EDs for mental health and substance use related concerns is required to better understand patient needs to coordinate effective emergency mental health care that optimises child outcomes, and to inform the development and targeting of upstream interventions that have the potential to prevent avoidable ED visits. Highlights • Growing rates of child mental health and substance use related ED visits have been observed internationally. • A population-based survey linked at the individual level to administrative health data was used to examine the extent to which children’s sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics are associated with the risk of a mental health or substance use related ED visit in Ontario, Canada. • Older age, low-income, parental immigrant status, perceived need for professional help, internalising problems, and suicidality increase the risk of an ED visit. • Knowledge of the characteristics of children visiting EDs can be used to coordinate effective emergency mental health care that optimises child outcomes, and to inform the development and targeting of upstream interventions that have the potential to prevent avoidable ED visits. https://ijpds.org/article/view/2152ChildrenMental DisorderSubstance Use DisorderEmergency MedicineMental Health ServicesCorrelates |
| spellingShingle | Jinette Comeau Li Wang Laura Duncan Jordan Edwards Katholiki Georgiades Kelly K. Anderson Piotr Wilk Tammy Lau Correlates of child mental health and substance use related emergency department visits in Ontario: A linked population survey and administrative health data study International Journal of Population Data Science Children Mental Disorder Substance Use Disorder Emergency Medicine Mental Health Services Correlates |
| title | Correlates of child mental health and substance use related emergency department visits in Ontario: A linked population survey and administrative health data study |
| title_full | Correlates of child mental health and substance use related emergency department visits in Ontario: A linked population survey and administrative health data study |
| title_fullStr | Correlates of child mental health and substance use related emergency department visits in Ontario: A linked population survey and administrative health data study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Correlates of child mental health and substance use related emergency department visits in Ontario: A linked population survey and administrative health data study |
| title_short | Correlates of child mental health and substance use related emergency department visits in Ontario: A linked population survey and administrative health data study |
| title_sort | correlates of child mental health and substance use related emergency department visits in ontario a linked population survey and administrative health data study |
| topic | Children Mental Disorder Substance Use Disorder Emergency Medicine Mental Health Services Correlates |
| url | https://ijpds.org/article/view/2152 |
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