The hospital and the emergencies in our time. Child and adolescents mental health

Abstract

In the last decade, the Emergency Department of “Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez” Children’s Hospital in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, registered a significant increase in mental health consultations of children and adolescents. The increase in the demand for assistance was mainly due to self- injurious behavior, suicide attempts and situations of violence and abandonment. We analyze the variables that determine the characteristics of the current consultation and the change in the profile of the institutions called to respond to this demand. Finally, we reflect on the place of childhood and adolescence, considering the influence of cultural and socioeconomic changes of contemporary society.