An Examination of Child and Youth Mental Health Service Urgency in Ontario

Ontario’s capacity to treat children and adolescents in mental health crisis is outweighed by the number and needs of individuals requiring treatment. A lack of standardized assessments for prioritizing individuals has contributed to long wait times for treatment and a paucity of information to help prioritize those requiring urgent services. This study examined whether sector (e.g., school, hospital), sex, age, legal guardianship, interpersonal and school conflict, intellectual disability and comorbid health conditions predicted greater mental health service urgency in 61,448 children (ages 4 to 18 years) assessed using the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health Screener. Additionally, differences in mental health state indicators across sectors were examined. Binary logistic regression revealed that all predictors, except for sector, showed a significant effect on service urgency. Kruskal-Wallis testing supported differences in mental health states across sectors. Findings are instrumental in prioritization, reducing the likelihood that children with acute needs remain on waitlists