{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Temperature and mental health-related emergency department and hospital encounters among children, adolescents and young adults.
{Author}: Niu L;Girma B;Liu B;Schinasi LH;Clougherty JE;Sheffield P;
{Journal}: Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci
{Volume}: 32
{Issue}: 0
{Year}: Apr 2023 17
{Factor}: 7.818
{DOI}: 10.1017/S2045796023000161
{Abstract}: <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>We examine the association between high ambient temperature and acute mental health-related healthcare encounters in New York City for children, adolescents and young adults.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>This case-crossover study included emergency department (ED) visits and hospital encounters with a primary diagnosis of any mental health disorder during warm-season months (June-August) in New York City from 2005 to 2011 from patients of three age groups (6-11, 12-17 and 18-25 years). Using a distributed lag non-linear model over 0-5 lag days, by fitting a conditional logistic regression for each age group, we calculated the cumulative odds ratios of mental health encounters associated with an elevated temperature. Analyses were stratified by race/ethnicity, payment source and mental health categories to elucidate vulnerable subpopulations.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>In New York City, there were 82,982 mental health-related encounters for young people aged 6 to 25 years during our study period months. Elevated temperature days were associated with higher risk of mental health-related ED and hospital encounters for the 6- to 11-year-olds (odds ratio [OR]: 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13-1.46), for the 12- to 17-year-olds (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.09-1.25) and for the 18- to 25-year-olds (OR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04-1.15). Children with reaction disorders, adolescents with anxiety and bipolar disorders, young adults with psychosis and reaction disorders and Black and non-Hispanic children and adolescents showed vulnerability to elevated temperature.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>We found that elevated ambient temperatures were associated with acute mental health ED or hospital encounters across childhood, adolescence and young adulthood.