PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Significant rise in mental health admissions for young people in last decade

Peer-reviewed | Observational study | People

2025-01-23
(Press-News.org) There was a 65% increase in the number of children and young people being admitted to general acute medical wards in hospitals in England because of a mental health concern between 2012 and 2022, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

The study, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR GOSH BRC), analysed data on all admissions of five- to 18-year-olds to medical wards in England from April 1st 2012 to March 31st 2022.

General acute medical wards are specialised hospital wards designed to provide rapid assessment, treatment, and care for patients. These units serve as a bridge between the emergency department, general practitioners, and other hospital wards and are separate to specialised mental health wards such as eating disorder units.

Children and young people are most commonly admitted to general wards from Accident and Emergency because they are too unwell, or it is not safe, for them to go home.

The researchers found that over the course of 10 years, mental health admissions increased from 24,198 to 39,925 (a 65% increase). This was in comparison to just a 10.1% increase in all cause admissions – which rose from 311,067 to 342,511.

Increases in admissions were greatest among girls aged 11-15, rising from 9,091 to 19,349 (112.8% increase), and for eating disorders, rising from 478 to 2,938 (514.6% increase).

This study is the first to analyse national trends in mental health admissions of children and young people to acute medical wards. As the study looked at admissions of up to 18 years of age, the acute medical wards included both children’s wards and adult wards.

Senior author, Dr Lee Hudson (UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital) said: “Over the past decade, we've observed a significant rise in mental health admissions among children and young people to acute medical wards. Although there has been attention paid to increased referrals to community mental health services and inpatient mental health settings, admissions to general acute medical settings feels like a piece of the jigsaw missing in the story.

“Acute medical wards are important places for caring for young people with mental health concerns – especially those with co-existing physical health problems like starvation from an eating disorder.

“However, the increased intensity we describe is presenting real challenges for acute wards, both for patients and their families and the staff supporting them. They may not be set up with an appropriate ward environment for this care, and sometimes staff working there need more training and support with relevant skills. This calls for better co-working between physical and mental health professionals across hospital and community teams, including, for example, adequate provision of psychiatrists and mental health trained nurses to support physical medical care on the actual ward.”

The researchers were unable to pinpoint the reasons behind the dramatic increase in mental health admissions in their study from this national level data, but are now in the process of collating more detailed data on reasons for admissions from a selection of children’s wards in England, alongside interviewing young people, their families and staff working on wards.

From this, they hope to better understand the needs and problems for these admissions to guide appropriate and effective interventions and improvements.

Dr Hudson said: “At a bigger level, we are all currently grappling with and trying to figure out why more and more young people are suffering with their mental health but it’s likely the bigger background prevalence of mental health problems, and possibly increased severity of individual cases, leading to increased presentations to hospitals that require an emergency admission to a general ward because it is not safe for the patient to go home.

“Our findings also show that these increases are not solely down to the COVID-19 pandemic, as there have been year on year increases in numbers of admissions since 2012. This is an issue that appears to now be core business for acute wards, and isn’t going to go away, so a focus on improving care is essential. We hope this study and our future work will help with this.

“Beyond that, it is of course crucial to understand the factors driving these presentations to better support the mental health of young patients.”

A recent report from the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB), an independent patient safety organisation, highlighted multiple concerns associated with these admissions. For example, 13 out of 18 paediatric units surveyed by the HSSIB described their ward environment as “not safe” for caring for children and young people with high-risk behaviours related to mental health concerns.

Issues raised included a lack of resources to provide therapeutic engagement for children and young people, challenges related to the physical ward space, difficulties managing children and young people who require sedation, and concerns regarding the impact of these admissions on other patients and staff morale. Work is ongoing around the country to address these issues, and researchers hope that their study will highlight the urgent need for better integration of acute, mental health, and social care services to support children and young people admitted with mental health concerns.

By improving coordination and planning, they hope it will be possible to ensure that young patients receive the comprehensive care they need, both in hospital and in the community.

Study limitations

The study's limitations include potential underestimation of mental health admissions due to variations in diagnostic coding and the inability to describe the level of care or use of the Mental Health Act. Additionally, the study could not differentiate between admissions to paediatric or adult wards, nor account for changes in admission criteria during the pandemic.

Further research in the MAPS project currently collecting more detailed information on admissions in a set of hospitals in England, and interviews with children, families and staff experiences aims to address some of this missing information.

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Prehab shows promise in improving health, reducing complications after surgery

Prehab shows promise in improving health, reducing complications after surgery
2025-01-23
A new study published in The BMJ suggests that prehabilitation (also called prehab) may be able to reduce complications and length of hospitalization after surgery, while also improving quality of life and physical recovery. The systematic review and meta-analysis, which is the largest of its kind, examined data from more than 15,000 patients who participated in 186 randomized controlled clinical trials around the world. The researchers looked at various kinds of prehab, including exercise, nutritional enhancement, psychological support, cognitive ...

Exercise and improved diet before surgery linked to fewer complications and enhanced recovery

2025-01-23
Actively preparing for major surgery by exercising and improving diet (known as “prehabilitation”) is associated with fewer complications, less time in hospital, and improved recovery and quality of life in adults, finds an analysis of clinical trials published by The BMJ today. The researchers stress that the certainty of evidence for all comparisons was generally low to very low, but they say prehabilitation based on exercise, nutrition, or exercise combined with other components, may be beneficial. Existing evidence suggests that prehabilitation can improve outcomes after surgery, but there’s a lack of clarity about which components, ...

SGLT-2 drug plus moderate calorie restriction achieves higher diabetes remission

2025-01-23
Adults with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes who are given the sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor drug dapagliflozin alongside moderate calorie restriction achieve much higher rates of remission compared with calorie restriction alone, finds a trial published by The BMJ today. The researchers say this study provides a practical strategy to achieve remission for patients with early type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes affects over 400 million adults worldwide. It’s not necessarily a permanent condition and can be reversed by intensive weight management, ...

Could the Summerville ghost lantern be an earthquake light?

2025-01-23
Gather around, and let Susan Hough tell you the tale of the Summerville Light. Legend has it that the strange orb sometimes seen hovering over the railroad tracks in the remote area around Summerville, South Carolina is a lantern borne by a ghost whose husband lost his head in a train accident. But Hough, a seismologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, wonders if there might be a less ethereal but no less intriguing possibility: is the source of the Summerville Light a phenomenon known as earthquake ...

Will the U.S. have enough pain specialists?

Will the U.S. have enough pain specialists?
2025-01-22
(SACRAMENTO) — Nearly a quarter of adults in the U.S. have chronic pain, but a new study from the UC Davis School of Medicine shows a concerning drop in residents applying to pain medicine fellowship programs. The study was published in PAIN Practice. It found the number of anesthesiology residents applying for pain medicine fellowships — historically the key pool of applicants — dropped 45% between 2019 and 2023. “While the demand for pain specialists is growing in the U.S., the pipeline of new doctors to fill these roles is drying up,” said Scott Pritzlaff, the study’s ...

Stronger stress response in monkeys helps them survive

2025-01-22
Key takeaways The team used the environmental circumstances and fecal samples collected from the six years prior to the El Niño drought to study the relationship between the endocrinologic stress response and survival in the white-faced capuchins. Monkeys who showed a steeper rise in these stress hormones during the mild droughts were more likely to survive the severe El Niño drought. As weather intensifies globally, longitudinal studies of how wild animals cope with changes in temperature, rainfall and food availability can help us understand which species ...

Using infrared heat transfer to modify chemical reactions

2025-01-22
In a joint experimental-theoretical work, a team of researchers, including theorists from UC San Diego, have shown for the first time that heat transfer in the form of infrared radiation can influence chemical reactions more strongly than traditional convection and conduction methods. Using an optical cavity to confine infrared light waves, researchers focused on the thermal dehydration of an inorganic crystal, copper sulfate pentahydrate. They found that light-matter vibrational coupling (resulting in states known as polaritons) lowered ...

Being a ladies' man comes at a price for alpha male baboons

Being a ladies man comes at a price for alpha male baboons
2025-01-22
DURHAM, N.C. -- A few things come to mind when we imagine the “alpha male” type. They’re the ones calling the shots, who get all the girls. But there’s a downside to being a strong and powerful alpha stud -- at least if you’re a baboon. Studies show that despite their high rank, the No. 1 males in baboon society are also some of the most stressed out, as measured by their high levels of glucocorticoids, the hormones involved in the ‘fight-or-flight’ response. But the leaders’ stress burden comes from a surprising source. New research reveals ...

Study shows anti-clotting drug reduced bleeding events in patients with atrial fibrillation

2025-01-22
Patients with atrial fibrillation are typically prescribed an anticoagulant, or blood thinner, to reduce the risk of stroke, but many may discontinue them or never receive a prescription due to concerns of increased risk of bleeding complications. Researchers from Mass General Brigham evaluated a drug that represents a new class of anticoagulants known as Factor XI inhibitors for treating patients with atrial fibrillation as part of the AZALEA-TIMI 71 Study. The trial was stopped early by the recommendation of the Data Monitoring Committee due to an overwhelming reduction in bleeding compared to ...

UMaine-led team develops more holistic way to monitor lobster industry

UMaine-led team develops more holistic way to monitor lobster industry
2025-01-22
Maine’s lobster fishery — one that supports thousands of jobs statewide — is extensively monitored. Management efforts are informed by biological monitoring surveys observing changes in abundance and distribution of the lobster population, and dealer and harvester reporting from the industry. Yet these statistics don't tell the whole story of an industry shaken by supply and market disruptions and geopolitical conflict, or the welfare of the people and communities that rely on ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Program takes aim at drinking, unsafe sex, and sexual assault on college campuses

Inability to pay for healthcare reaches record high in U.S.

Science ‘storytelling’ urgently needed amid climate and biodiversity crisis

KAIST Develops Retinal Therapy to Restore Lost Vision​

Adipocyte-hepatocyte signaling mechanism uncovered in endoplasmic reticulum stress response

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

Study examines lactation in critically ill patients

UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

Doubling down on metasurfaces

New Cedars-Sinai study shows how specialized diet can improve gut disorders

Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

PKU Scientists simulate the origin and evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation

ICRAFT breakthrough: Unlocking A20’s dual role in cancer immunotherapy

How VR technology is changing the game for Alzheimer’s disease

A borrowed bacterial gene allowed some marine diatoms to live on a seaweed diet

Balance between two competing nerve proteins deters symptoms of autism in mice

Use of antifungals in agriculture may increase resistance in an infectious yeast

Awareness grows of cancer risk from alcohol consumption, survey finds

The experts that can outsmart optical illusions

Pregnancy may reduce long COVID risk

Scientists uncover novel immune mechanism in wheat tandem kinase

Three University of Virginia Engineering faculty elected as AAAS Fellows

[Press-News.org] Significant rise in mental health admissions for young people in last decade
Peer-reviewed | Observational study | People