Mental health conditions are put under the spotlight

Record number of children are being hospitalised

MENTAL health conditions are putting a record number of Leicestershire children in hospital.

Figures from Public Health England have revealed that children in the county were hospitalised because of a mental health condition 225 times in 2018/19.

That might include conditions such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder.

Charities are concerned that the stigma that still exists around mental health might be preventing some children from reaching out before they hit crisis point.

Alana Ryan, senior policy and public affairs officer at NSPCC, said: “There are many complex reasons for these worrying figures, but we know children and young people may be reluctant to speak about their concerns due to the stigma around mental health which can then escalate into something much more serious.

“We have a shared responsibility to tackle this and ensure when problems first emerge children feel comfortable seeking help, be it from family, a teacher or a place like Childline.

“Looking forward, it is also vital that Government prioritises and invests in the existing school-based mental health support teams to ensure all children can benefit from this important service when they return to the classroom.”

The 225 hospital admissions seen in Leicestershire in 2018/19 was made up of 60% girls, and 40% boys.

The number was up from 199 the year before and 129 in 2016/17, and is the highest seen since at least 2010/11, when the figures begin.

Other charities have warned that some children may be struggling to access care even if they do reach out, due to ongoing cuts to mental health services.

They say the problem could get worse during lockdown.

Tom Madders, director of campaigns at YoungMinds, said: “Even before the current pandemic, many young people struggled to access early mental health support in their community.

“Long waiting times and high thresholds for treatment meant that too many young people were reaching crisis point and needing hospitalisation because they didn’t get the help they needed when they needed it.

“The Government is rightly focused on tackling the coronavirus pandemic we’re currently facing, but we know that many more young people have been struggling with their mental health during lockdown, and that – despite huge efforts by mental health professionals – many are finding it difficult to access services.

“To tackle the anticipated rise in mental health needs of young people, the Government must take action and commit to introducing additional support beyond the pandemic.”

Nationally, children were hospitalized by a mental health condition 10,555 times last year - up from 10,054 cases in 2017/18 and 9,605 the year before that, and working out as nine admissions for every 10,000 kids.

According to Public Health England, one in 10 children has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem, and self-harming and substance abuse are much more common in these children.

Failure to treat mental health disorders in children can have a devastating impact on their future, resulting in reduced job and life expectations.