Trended ED Visit Rates for Behavioral Health Conditions

This chart displays emergency department (ED) visit rates where behavioral health conditions are the primary diagnoses for the 14-county Finger Lakes region, New York State excluding New York City, and New York State as a whole, over the past two decades. From 2005 to 2023, behavioral health-related ED visit rates increased substantially across all three geographies shown, with rates in the Finger Lakes region nearly doubling during that period. While the Finger Lakes region follows an almost identical trend to that of New York State, visit rates are notably higher within the Finger Lakes region compared to the rest of upstate New York (with New York City excluded). While the ED is an important part of the medical and behavioral health care system and is able to assist in times of crisis, the increasing visit rate may indicate either an increased need within the community itself and/or issues with access to preventative measures and earlier connections to behavioral health services.