Connecticut legislates bills to address children’s mental health

Two years into a pandemic and mental health issues have been on the rise, particularly with children and adolescents. The CDC has stated that suicide is the second leading cause of death among children between ages 10 and 14 and the organization has voiced concerns about how the pandemic has affected children’s mental health.
Unfortunately, much of the care for mental health—both children and adults—often takes place in an emergency room. According to the Connecticut Hospital Association, the number of children and teens waiting for psychiatric beds more than doubled from 26 to 56 in the month of February. The average number of children who typically wait for care is 38. Of those 38 children, 31 were between the ages of 13 and 17 years old ...