The role of the kynurenine pathway in the pathogenesis of pain and affective disorders after traumatic brain injury.

Emergency departments (EDs) by children with behavioral health concerns are rising, but an understanding of current and desired resources for this population remains limited. In this survey of EDs participating in the Illinois Pediatric Facility Recognition Program, just over half reported on-site support from mental health professionals and most reported universal suicide risk screening, but only about half consistently implemented all recommended safety planning components. Respondents identified limited disposition options and prolonged boarding as major barriers. Commonly desired resources included activity kits and real-time psychiatric bed tracking. These findings highlight actionable opportunities to improve pediatric emergency behavioral health care. Pediatric emergency department (ED) visits for behavioral health (BH) concerns have increased substantially over the past decade, particularly visits for suicide-related concerns. Concurrently, pediatric BH boarding has become more frequent and prolonged. Despite these trends, little information exists regarding the resources available to support pediatric BH care across US EDs. In the 2021 National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP) assessment, only three items focused on BH care. Of responding EDs, 73% reported having pediatric BH-related policies, although the content and nature of these policies were not characterized. EDs with lower annual pediatric ED volume were less likely to report having pediatric BH-related policies, suggesting variability in preparedness to serve children with BH needs.