Mental Health Science
Trends and Patterns in Outpatients Visits Among Children and Adolescents in a Psychiatric Specialist Hospital, 2019–2023
ABSTRACT Mental health problems burden children and adolescents globally, and the COVID‐19 pandemic has exacerbated these challenges, altering their healthcare‐seeking behaviors and mental health diagnostic patterns. However, few studies have systematically analyzed long‐term outpatient visit trends and diagnostic changes pre‐ and post‐pandemic, especially considering age and gender differences. Retrospective data of 74,779 valid pediatric (0–18 years) mental health outpatient visits (2019–2023) from Shanghai Menta …