Psychiatric support for youngsters

YOUNG people in the Lothians with mental health problems are to be offered more treatment at home as part of a new health board scheme.

It comes after the successful roll-out of a similar programme for adult psychiatric patients.

For youngsters, the child and adolescence mental health service (CAMHS) also means less time spent in hospital, with the prospect of care in more familiar surroundings of benefit to rehabilitation and so reducing the chances of a relapse.

Senior charge nurse Gavin Cullen said: "The job of the service is to prevent mental health crisis developing or where it has occurred, to help the patient recover using the psychological, social and medical supports the multi-disciplinary team can offer.

"The intensive home treatment service for children and young people has already proved successful in supporting youngsters at home rather than in hospital."