CHEO and The Royal continue to see record demand for mental health services

OTTAWA | The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and The Royal continue to see a record demand for mental health services, according to their annual “mental health report card” issued today.Continuing a trend since 2009, CHEO again saw an increase in visits to its emergency department for mental health crises. There were 3,162 visits in 2013-14, up from 2,900 the previous year. This number has increased 78% since 2009-10, and is the highest number of pediatric emergency mental health visits in Ontario. The Royal has seen significant increases in youth (16-18) presenting with anxiety disorders, suicidality and emotional dysregulation, substance use and psychosis.A glimmer of hope for those most at risk is offered by an innovative therapy for teens and their parents. Both CHEO and The Royal are now offering dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) programs for high-risk adolescents that include parent/caregiver groups. The enriched parent programs help parents to better understand the issues and challenges that their youth are facing and give them the tools to be strong partners in their care.DBT is another small step towards addressing a very significant challenge in this community. Other efforts to address the demand include:• The Bridges Program was launched in April 2013 by CHEO, The Royal, Ottawa Public Health and the Youth Services Bureau. Bridges is an intensive treatment program for high-risk teenagers who have been involved with inpatient and crisis services. The Bridges Program has received financial support from the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), the Ontario Nursing Secretariat and Ottawa Public Health.• An eConsult service at CHEO, recently launched, makes it easy for family physicians to consult a psychiatrist at CHEO for advice about a specific patient or question and get a response online within 48 hours. eConsult is coordinated region-wide by the Champlain LHIN. Psychiatrists from both CHEO and The Royal also offer telephone consultations to family physicians to provide guidance in treating patients with mental illness.• In 2014, The Royal launched HealthyMinds, a free mental wellness app to help youth deal with stress through problem-solving tools and techniques similar to those used in a clinical setting.• CHEO, The Royal and community partners are working together to transition high risk youth from youth mental health services to adult mental health services.• The Royal has reached over 5,000 youth in 3 years with its Is It Just Me? educational and anti-stigma program designed to start open, informal conversations with youth to promote mental wellness and early identification of mental health issues including depression, anxiety and substance use.• CHEO’s Youth Net/Réseau Ado reached out to 5,000 youth in Eastern Ontario in 2013/14 through its mental health promotion and early intervention program, which included focus groups, special initiatives and support groups, all designed and run by youth for youth.• The Royal and CHEO host an annual Child and Youth Mental Health Conference focused on building knowledge of the unique mental health needs of children and youth among healthcare professionals, thereby enhancing the care available across the community.

CHEO and The Royal continue to see record demand for mental health services

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