2024-02-10 00:30:50
A national YouGov survey explored the barriers children face when considering seeking help.
Respondents reported feeling uncomfortable talking to someone they don’t know (29%), wanting to keep their difficulties a secret (19%), and being afraid of their friends’ reactions (20%). ) and worry regarding their family’s reaction (16%). ).
Unfortunately, this forces children to try to cope with difficulties on their own, often leading to a worsening of their mental state over time. In three years, the number of children referred to emergency mental health care in England has soared by more than 50 per cent.
Between 2022 and 2023, a total of 32,521 emergency and urgent child referrals were recorded. This is a considerable jump from the 5,000 recorded in the year before the coronavirus pandemic.
Those who speak out regularly find that there are not enough resources to get help.
On average, children in need of emergency care – some suicidal or suffering from serious eating disorders – have been on the waiting list for two years. The average wait time is generally five months for young patients.
Dr Elaine Lockhart, chair of the child and adolescent faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “It is unacceptable that so many children and young people reach crisis point before they can access care. We cannot allow this to become the new normal.
He continued: “Serious mental illness is not a problem just for adults. The need for specialist mental health services for children and young people continues to grow.
In a welcome move, the UK Government has announced an additional £5 million of funding aimed at improving early access to support for young people aged 11-25.
However, analysis carried out at the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggests this budget is far lower than what is actually needed. Between £125 million and £205 million would be needed to put adequate resources in place in each local authority, with annual operating costs of at least £114 million per year.
As a youth mental health crisis rages in Britain, the Department of Health and Social Care has announced it will provide the NHS with an extra £2.3 billion a year. This is expected to significantly improve help and support for children in school by 2025.
It’s no secret that the government has missed the ball when it comes to funding health care overall, including mental health services. This makes the work and advocacy of charities like Place2Be all the more valuable.
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