SAN DIEGO — Rady Children's Hospital is seeing a surge in kids experiencing a mental health crisis. The hospital says it's had a 30% increase since the pandemic.
Doctors say Rady Children's Hospital was seeing an upward trend in children visiting their emergency room while in crisis years before the pandemic but the pandemic only exacerbated the problem.
"And there's no signs of things slowing down. I don't say this to alarm anybody but to raise awareness and let them know they're not alone," said Willough Jenkins, a pediatric psychiatrist at Rady Children's Hospital.
Jenkins says they were seeing about 30 kids per month ten years ago and now that number is up to 30 kids a day.
"What's bringing most families in is unfortunately thoughts or actions towards suicide that their children are experiencing which really indicates their children are in crisis," she said.
Experts say several factors can cause a mental health crisis such as social isolation from the pandemic, family stress and social media. Rady Children's says the start of a new school year can also be triggering.
"The key issue here is early identification and early intervention," said Moisés Barón, the CEO and President of San Diego Center For Children.
The San Diego Center for Children says to watch for changes in your child's behavior, them isolating themselves, trouble sleeping or school performance. The center is working closely with Rady Children's Hospital and trying to give kids the help they need.
"Here at the center we're working and trying to remove those barriers and trying to give access to youth regardless whether they have commercial insurance or medical because they deserve that help," he said.
Experts say if you're noticing changes in your child's behavior, a good first step is getting in touch with your pediatrician and your child's school.
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