Rising Rates of Teen Mental Health Crises in Hospitals.

Hospitalizations for pediatric suicidal behavior increased by 163 percent over an 11-year period, with mental health hospitalizations increasing by 25.8 percent and costing $1.37 billion, according to a study of millions of hospital admissions in the United States. The study found that the portion of American hospital beds occupied by children with suicidal or self-harming behavior has soared over the course of a decade, with the portion of pediatric mental health hospitalizations involving suicidal or self-harming behavior rising to 64.2 percent in 2019, from 30.7 percent in 2009. The study underlines the inadequacies in the US health system, with parents seeking care for children encountering a series of frustrations.