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Perspectives on paediatric ED mental health care

Caregiver and Care Recipient Perspectives on Paediatric ED Mental Health Presentations: A Qualitative Study
Emergency Medicine Australasia · Added 27 July 2026

Care recipients and care providers identified challenges in service coordination, clinician readiness and the ED environment.

Study type

Qualitative

Design

Secondary qualitative analysis of Delphi free-text responses (PREDICT network)

Participants

184 participants (36 care recipients, 148 care providers) across 12 EDs and pre-hospital services in Australia

Main finding

Three main themes: care continuity and communication gaps, ED environment challenges, and need for improved training, behavioural support, reduced sensory overload and community care links

Caveat

Secondary analysis of free-text Delphi responses, not purpose-designed interviews; self-selected respondents

Bottom line

Context only

Learning goal

Understand how communication gaps and sensory overload affect paediatric mental health presentations in emergency care.

More

• Topic: Mental health (patients)
• Daily scan: 27 July 2026

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