title: The current state of mental health services in Canada's paediatric emergency departments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe emergency mental health services in major paediatric centres across Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study of mental health services in emergency departments (EDs) from all 15 Canadian tertiary care paediatric centres was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen individuals participated and were either a paediatric emergency physician with administrative responsibilities (60%) or an emergency mental health care provider (40%). Four participants reported that their ED used an evidence-based guideline, tool or policy, and one participant reported their ED based its services on published research evidence. Reported ED-based mental health resources included a crisis intervention team (five EDs), a mental health nurse (six EDs) and a social worker (five EDs). Thirteen participants reported on-site consultation with child psychiatry and six reported urgent follow-up as an adjunct service to ED care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a wide variety of mental health care practices in Canadian paediatric EDs. Consideration of which resources are required to ensure evidence-based, effective services are provided to children and youth is necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa & Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario;
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Leon
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa & Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario;
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cappelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta;
authors.forename: Samina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta;
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Department of Emergency Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia;
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Curran
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta;
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gokiert
authors.affiliation: Manitoba Institute of Child Health & Department of Pediatrics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba;
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klassen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa & Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario;
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osmond
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta.
authors.forename: Shannon D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta;
authors.forename: Amanda S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Newton
keywords: Crisis intervention; Emergency medical services; Mental health; Paediatric