Identifying and Characterizing the Transgender and Nonbinary Population Presenting to Pediatric Psychiatry Emergency Services.

Transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) individuals have an increased risk of certain mental health outcomes, such as depression and suicide attempts. This population skews younger in the United States and prior studies have not included TGNB patients for the entire pediatric age range in an emergency department (ED) setting. The present study aimed to examine gender identity documentation in the electronic health record and then use that information to identify and further characterize the pediatric TGNB population presenting to a psychiatric emergency service. Preliminary findings include a greater percentage of TGNB patients compared to non-TGNB individuals who had repeat visits to the ED for high acuity psychiatric concerns. A larger portion of TGNB patients also had at least one evaluation that included suicidal ideation. These results call for increased attention on the quality of mental healthcare for TGNB youth both inside and outside of the ED.

Characterizing Autism Spectrum Disorder and Predicting Suicide Risk for Pediatric Psychiatric Emergency Services Encounters.

Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at a higher risk for mental health concerns including suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB). Limited studies have focused on suicidal risk factors that are more prevalent or unique to the population with ASD. This study sought to characterize and classify youth presenting to the psychiatric emergency department (ED) for a chief complaint of STB. The results of this study validated that a high number of patients with ASD present to the ED with STB. There were important differences in clinical characteristics to those with ASD versus those without. Clinical features that showed important impact in predicting high suicide risk in the ASD cases include elements of the mental status exam such as affect, trauma symptoms, abuse history, and auditory hallucinations. Focused attention is needed on these unique differences in ASD cases so that suicide risk level can be appropriately and promptly addressed.

Safety Planning Intervention for Adolescents: Provider Attitudes and Response to Training in the Emergency Services Setting.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the implementation of the empirically supported Safety Planning Intervention (SPI) for adolescent suicidality in emergency services (ES) settings. METHODS: Using an implementation science framework, the authors collaboratively evaluated the needs of ES providers; developed a plan; and trained ES psychiatrists, social workers, and mental health specialists for SPI implementation. The health care and social workers put the safety plan into practice in ES settings and, after involving stakeholders in addressing challenges during implementation, fully integrated the program into ES practice. This study examined providers' attitudes toward the structured SPI before and after training in this evidence-based intervention. RESULTS: Providers reported a desire to learn evidence-based interventions for safety planning before the training. The effect of time from pre- to posttraining on provider attitudes and knowledge about the SPI was statistically significant (F=4.19, df=2 and 22, p=0.030), indicating that providers' attitudes toward using the structured SPI in their work improved after completing the training. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are relevant for health care settings that seek to comply with new standards for hospital accreditation and improve overall patient care for suicidal youths. The results suggest that stakeholder collaboration and brief training in SPI may be effective for incorporating structured safety planning practices into pediatric ES settings.