Mental health presentations at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital more than double in a decade

The number of children in mental distress seeking help at emergency departments is soaring, and some are simply being turned away.

Desperate children in mental distress sought help at Adelaide emergency departments almost 4500 times last year – or 12 times a day.

Presentations have risen steadily from about 2000 – or at least five a day – a decade ago.

SA Health data also reveals primary school-aged children are among a growing number being admitted to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital’s psychiatric ward.

And hospital-based emergency mental health teams are fielding thousands of referrals a year, including 150 for children aged 12 or younger last year.

Families have told The Advertiser their unwell children end up in hospitals because it is too difficult or expensive to access early support services.

Parents for Change co-founder Anne-marie Taplin said young people resorting to emergency departments were “seriously wanting to end their lives or just not able to cope at all”.

However, she said most parents who contacted her organisation said “their main experience is being turned away”.

In particular, the 12-bed Mallee Ward at the WCH was “incredibly hard to get into”.

“We know of children who do have a serious mental health diagnosis and they’ve been turned away,” Ms Taplin said.

Last year there were 657 admissions to the Mallee Ward, up from 395 four years ago.

SA’s Chief Psychiatrist John Brayley said the new WCH, due to open in 2030-31, would have an extra 10 dedicated mental health beds, taking the total to 22.

SA Health Chief Psychiatrist Dr John Brayley says the new WCH will have extra space. But it’s not due to open until 2030-31. Picture: Dean Martin/Newswire

Dr Brayley said experts were discussing whether to set aside some of those beds for children aged under 12 and their parents to stay together.

He said the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) had launched a new initiative – the Rapid Assessment Consultation Evaluation and Review (RACER) team – to work with young people who have attended an emergency department for a mental health issue.

The team provides support which is intended to reduce the likelihood that the young person will need to return to hospital.

“Many of the young people who might otherwise have no option than to come to an emergency department, if they had a mental health professional going to them, that would provide the response that they need,” Dr Brayley said.

The Women's and Children's Hospital has witnessed a surge in demand for mental health services. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

The state government opened a new Urgent Mental Health Care Centre (UMHCC) in March which can treat people in crisis aged 16 and older, 24-hours a day.

Ms Taplin praised this option but said SA “urgently needs” a similar short-stay centre for children.

“What we’re arguing for in the long-term is to divert children in mental health crisis away from ED,” she said.

David Kelly, one of SA’s three Mental Health Commissioners, expected to see more options like the UMHCC open in future.

“For young people and their families, they’re not always aware of what the support options are, so they think the only place to go is hospital,” he said.

“I know how difficult it is when a young person is really distressed and really unwell.

“(But) absolutely the wrong place to be dealing with mental health issues, particularly for young people … is the emergency department of a hospital.”