Emergency department utilization by pediatric patients with major depressive disorder: A United States national population-based study

Abstract

This study aims to determine the most common reasons for emergency department (ED) visits of pediatric patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). We abstracted data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. A total of 380,095 ED visits for patients aged <18 years with “any” diagnosis of MDD in 2018. Mental disorders and injuries and poisoning were the most common reasons for presentation to the ED. Among these, 166,055 had MDD as the “principal” diagnosis. MDD, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and intentional self-harm were the most common specific reasons for presentation to the ED among pediatric patients with MDD.

Keywords

• Suicidal ideation
• Anxiety disorder
• Intentional self-harm