Expanded Outreach Improves Rural Adolescent Mental Health Outcomes – Psychiatry Advisor
By Michelle Lampariello
During the COVID-19 pandemic, 1 rural area experienced a significant increase in adolescent emergency department (ED) visits for mental health-related crises, including suicidality and intentional medication overdose. A nurse practitioner (NP)-led initiative expanded mental health outreach and improved outcomes for youth experiencing a mental health crisis, according to a care innovation poster presented at the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) National Conference on Pediatric Health Care held March 15 to 18, 2023, in Tampa, Florida.
“Routinely asking about mental health normalizes the conversation, much like asking about digestive health or any other body system you discuss with your primary care provider,” said study coauthor Jessica Jurasin, MSN, FNP-C, ARN. “It serves as an invitation to start the discussion, which can be an enormous hurdle when stigma is involved.”