Trends in Mental Health-Related Emergency Department Visits Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Nationwide, Population-Based Study in Korea, 2017-2021.

BACKGROUND: Trends in mental health-related emergency department (ED) use among adolescents and young adults in South Korea are largely unexplored. This study evaluated recent trends and characteristics of these ED visits. METHODS: This nationwide epidemiologic study used data from the National Emergency Department Information System in Korea, including patients who visited the ED to receive psychiatric consultation between 2017 and 2021. Adolescents and young adults were defined as 10-24 years old, and their characteristics and trends were compared with those of adult (≥ 25 years) patients. RESULTS: Among 117,997 patients, adolescents and young adults comprised 28.0% of the population. There was a significant increasing trend in ED visits between 2017 and 2021 among adolescents and young adults (4,737 to 8,787, P < 0.001), whereas the adult patient visits were stationary (16,798 to 16,313, P = 0.497). In the adolescents and young adults group, there was a greater predominance of females (67.1%), transfer from other facilities (10.8%), discharge to home after treatment (71.7%), and visits due to intentional self-harm (26.9%) than in the older age group. The most common diagnostic codes were F30-F39 (mood [affective] disorder; 43.2%), and the most common diagnosis was F32 (depressive episode), accounting for 17.7%. Diagnoses in the F30-39 category, especially F32, significantly increased each year (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study revealed that from 2017 to 2021, mental health-related ED visits for adolescents and young adults nearly doubled, especially for depression and mood disorders, with a significant increase among female patients. This highlights the need for tailored strategies and more psychiatric expertise in the ED.