Youth In Lower Opportunity Zip Codes Had Higher Rates Of Mental Health Emergency Department Visits

Youth living in lower-opportunity ZIP codes were more likely to use the emergency department for acute mental health care than youth living in higher-opportunity ZIP codes, according to a recent study based on data from Kansas and Missouri. The Child Opportunity Index measures neighborhood conditions associated with children's health and long-term well-being, including educational, environmental, socioeconomic, and health-related factors. Rates of youth mental health emergency department visits decreased as neighborhood opportunity increased, from 17.0 visits per 1,000 youth in ZIP codes with very low opportunity to 10.1 visits per 1,000 . . .