Most Children Unlikely to Receive Timely Access to Mental Health Services After Firearm Injury

More than 3 in 5 children do not receive mental health services within six months of experiencing a firearm injury, despite growing evidence that early identification and timely connection to these services after a firearm injury can improve mental health outcomes, according to a study. In “Timing of Mental Health Service Use after a Pediatric Firearm Injury,” published in the July 2023 Pediatrics, researchers found children with prior mental health service use or with a mental health diagnosis detected during the firearm injury encounter had higher odds of accessing mental health services. The study, published online June 5, reviewed data on children ages 5-17 years with a firearm injury encounter between 2010-2018 who were enrolled in Medicaid. Following a firearm injury, 958 of the 2,613 (36.7%) children used mental health services within six months; of these, 378/958 (39.5%) had no prior mental health service use. Children with a new mental health diagnosis identified during the firearm injury encounter had over twice the odds of timely connection to outpatient mental health care. The authors conclude that access to mental health services after injury is often inequitable, and that greater efforts are needed to connect children with these services after a firearm injury.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.