Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
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Australas Psychiatry · Dec 2011
Child and adolescent mental health problems and substance use presentations to an emergency department.
The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics and referral pattern of children and adolescents with mental health problems, substance misuse and comorbidity presenting to the emergency department (ED) of a large public hospital. ⋯ This age group places a high demand on the ED. All children and adolescents with recognized mental health symptoms were seen by mental health services, but those with substance misuse were not. Given the long-term problems associated with substance misuse, this is a missed opportunity for intervention.