Services for children’s mental health are overburdened

Services for children’s mental health are overburdened, and COVID hasn’t helped. What can impact a child's mental health?

Find out about the ways that the epidemic has made things worse and about potential solutions to help children and families who are in need.

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According to people on the front lines, the overuse of mental health services in the Ottawa region extends to both hospitals and community clinics, and the issue is not solely related to COVID-19

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According to David Murphy, head of mental health, the inpatient facilities at CHEO, the children’s hospital in eastern Ontario, were completely full as of Friday

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At the children’s hospital in eastern Ontario, the inpatient mental health units are completely full

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Murphy remarked, “This would have been the same situation if you had asked me two weeks ago—if you had asked me six years ago

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Murphy claimed that despite this, COVID-19 has increased the prevalence of eating disorders while also making symptoms worse in young people who may have been improving before the epidemic.

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He claimed that spending money on things like family therapy, counseling, psychotherapy, and crisis services would greatly ease the pressure CHEO has been under for years

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For youngsters to avoid using our emergency services, he continued, “we just need to establish greater capacity in the community

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We must make sure that young people who are in need of assistance have other options besides visiting an already overburdened emergency department.

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