Mental health council report

NEARLY 21,000 children and young people in Lincolnshire are believed to have a diagnosable mental health condition, Lincolnshire County Council reports.

During a Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee meeting on Friday, officials reviewed the initial two phases of the significant CYP Mental Health Transformation Programme, launched in 2022 with the goal of restructuring local services.

The programme provided several key findings, including that an estimated 20,700 children and young people in Lincolnshire are expected to have a diagnosable mental health condition as of December 2023. However, only 8,290 of these individuals were in contact with mental health services. The report also noted that boys aged 6-10 years old are more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder, while girls aged 17-23 years old are also at a high risk. LGBTQ+ children and young people are also more likely to engage in self-harm or attempt suicide.

The analysis further revealed South and North Kesteven, among the least deprived areas, have a higher demand for mental health services. In contrast, East Lindsey, which has some of the most deprived wards, shows the lowest number of referrals to these services.