Child suicide-related ER visits rose 74% from 2016 to 2022

Overview

Updated Sep 7

Suicide-related emergency department visits among US children rose 74% between 2016 and 2022, according to a study of more than 5 million pediatric mental health visits published in Annals of Emergency Medicine. The crisis landed hardest at hospitals that see few children each year.

Half of suicide-related visits occurred at facilities treating fewer than 10,000 children annually. At those low-volume sites, nearly 30% of children with mental health conditions were transferred to other hospitals, sometimes spending days in the emergency department waiting for a bed.

Why it matters

Half of children in mental health crisis land in emergency departments that lack pediatric psychiatric resources, and the burden keeps growing.

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Key Indicators

74%

Increase in suicide-related ED visits, 2016 to 2022

Cumulative rise across the six-year study window, the study's headline finding.

5 million+

Pediatric mental health ED visits analyzed

Visits by children ages 5-17 at US emergency departments, 2016-2022.

24%

Increase in all pediatric mental health ED visits

Growth across all mental health diagnoses, versus 74% for suicide-related visits alone.

~30%

Transfer rate at lowest-volume EDs

Share of children at EDs under 10,000 annual visits who were moved to other hospitals for definitive care.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Audrey Brewer

Corresponding author of the study; assistant professor, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine

Pediatrician and researcher at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Jennifer Hoffmann

Senior author of the study; assistant professor of pediatric emergency medicine and medical social sciences

Pediatric emergency medicine physician and researcher at Lurie Children's Hospital

Organizations Involved

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Medical school

Research institution behind the study

Northwestern University's medical school, based in Chicago.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Pediatric hospital

Research partner on the study

One of the largest pediatric hospitals in the US, based in Chicago.

Timeline

January 2016 September 2026

6 events Latest: September 4th, 2026 · 2 months ago

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September 2026
Findings go public
Latest Announcement

Northwestern announces the results; coverage and online discussion spread, including on r/science.
September 4th, 2026
Study published
Publication

Annals of Emergency Medicine publishes the 5-million-visit analysis by Northwestern and Lurie Children's researchers.
September 3rd, 2026
December 2022
Study period closes
Data

Suicide-related pediatric ED visits end 74% above the 2016 baseline.
December 31st, 2022
December 2021
Suicidality visits hit record high
Data

Parallel analysis finds suicidality ED visits at 1,160 per 100,000 youth, up from 760 in 2016.
December 31st, 2021
March 2020
Pandemic disrupts seasonal patterns
Context

Spring 2020 school closures suppress April and May suicide-related visit rates before they rebound.
March 2020
January 2016
Study period opens
Data

Researchers begin tracking pediatric mental health ED visits across US hospitals; baseline established.
January 1st, 2016

Scenarios

Congress funds pediatric mental health capacity in general emergency departments

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Study authors Brewer and Hoffmann, who called for equipping every ED; Medical Xpress coverage

The finding that half of pediatric mental health visits occur at low-volume hospitals prompts federal legislation to fund mental health training, telehealth psychiatric consultation, and follow-up care coordination in general EDs. The National Pediatric Readiness Project provides an existing framework to build on.

Universal pediatric suicide screening becomes standard in US emergency departments

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Northwestern researchers recommending universal screening; pediatric emergency medicine groups

Professional or federal bodies issue guidance requiring all EDs to screen children for suicide risk regardless of presenting complaint. This would follow the Joint Commission's 2016 sentinel event alert that pushed adult suicide screening into mainstream emergency practice.

Youth suicide-related ED visits keep declining from 2021 peak

Uncertain Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: CDC MMWR data showing 2021-2025 declines, with 20.8% drop among ages 12-17

CDC surveillance continues to show year-over-year declines in suicide-related ED visits, suggesting the 2016-2022 surge reflected a pandemic-era spike that is receding. The risk is rates plateau at levels still far above the pre-2019 baseline, especially among adolescent girls.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

October 2021

National emergency declaration for child mental health (October 2021)

The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Children's Hospital Association jointly declared a national state of emergency in children's mental health, citing rising suicide attempts and strained emergency departments.

Then

The declaration preceded federal moves including 988 crisis line implementation and new school mental health grants.

Now

It marked the first time leading pediatric bodies formally called the crisis an emergency, shaping federal framing of child mental health policy.

Why this matters now

The declaration anticipated the rising ED visit trends this 2026 study now quantifies with detailed hospital-level data.

October 2004

Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act (2004)

Congress named the law after Garrett Lee Smith, a 24-year-old who died by suicide in 2003. It was the first federal program specifically funding youth suicide prevention.

Then

It created the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and funded campus, tribal, and state-level prevention programs.

Now

It established a template for translating youth suicide surveillance into federal action, later expanded under the 2020 National Suicide Hotline Designation Act.

Why this matters now

The current study's findings may drive a similar federal response, this time aimed at emergency department capacity rather than school programs.

2013-present

National Pediatric Readiness Project (2013)

Launched by the Emergency Medical Services for Children program, the project assesses how prepared US emergency departments are to treat children and publishes readiness scores.

Then

Found fewer than half of general emergency departments were considered ready for pediatric emergencies at launch; scores improved in the years that followed.

Now

Demonstrated that emergency departments can measurably improve pediatric capacity through checklists, training, and equipment standards, without building new children's hospitals.

Why this matters now

Researchers point to it and similar toolkits as the model for raising mental health care standards in low-volume emergency departments.