Calls for investment in to child mental health

Campaigners are calling for a major increase in investment in child mental health services amid a “crisis” in the sector.

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) said services are “creaking at the seams”, with research indicating 10 per cent of youngsters aged five to 16 have a clinically diagnosable mental health problem.

The SCSC said figures show just 0.56 per cent of the NHS budget was spent on specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in 2018/19, amounting to £67 million.

It said only 6.61 per cent of the overall mental health budget was spent on CAMHS, a drop from 6.68 per cent on the previous year.

SCSC, a coalition of independent and third sector children and young people’s services, said this is equivalent to just over 50p in every £100 of the NHS budget.

In a letter to Finance Secretary Derek Mackay, the group called for a significant proportion of money coming to the Scottish Government to go to the NHS for mental health services.

Making the call during Children’s Mental Health Week, an SCSC spokesman said: “There must be a radical transformation of our mental health services, with a focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place and intervening early, especially when we know that half of all mental health problems are established by the age of 14.

“With mental health and the issues associated with it representing one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, we must ensure that children and young people are able to get the care and support they need, when they need it.

“This includes investing in greater community support and support at school, reducing the need for referral to specialist CAMHS.”

The group said the latest figures on waiting times to access CAMHS show that of the 3,901 children and young people who started their treatment, only 64.5 per cent had been treated within an 18-week period - short of the 90 per cent target.

It said 204 children and young people have been waiting for more than a year to be seen.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We are determined to ensure that any young person needing mental health support can get services that are appropriate to their needs. That is why the mental health minister on Thursday launched the first national CAMHS service specification, developed in partnership with young people and their families to ensure everyone gets the right treatment, at the right time and in the right place.