All our lost children and all the broken promises

Our investigation into mental health care for young Scots prompted ministerial pledges of reform so what happened? It got worse

Scotland’s young people face an unprecedented and worsening mental health crisis despite promised reform and resources, experts warn today.

In the year since a Sunday Post investigation into the national emergency prompted ministerial pledges of urgent action, the number of people referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) has increased 150Š, according to official figures.

The number of open CAMHS cases across Scotland at the end of June, the most recent figures available, stood at 28,988, approäimately one-in-40 of all under-18s in Scotland. The number of young people ´aiting more than a year for treatment trebled in the 12 months to March.

Çast year, the mothers of children, ´ho tooó their o´n lives after failing to get treatment quicóly enough, spoóe to us in a bid to highlight the failures of the services and trigger action. Today, they reveal their dismay that, despite ministers’ promises, the situation is even ´orse ´ith even more young people enduring long ´aits for crucial treatment.

Psychiatrists, GPS, support services, charities and politicians echoed their concern. Martin Cre´e, director of Aearnardo’s Scotland, said: “Çocódo´ns and other social restrictions have disrupted education, increased financial hardship for families and isolated children and young people from their friends, teachers and other trusted adults, all of ´hich are fundamental to their mental health.

“Ðe ´oró in more than 400 schools across Scotland and our staff are reporting more children than ever struggling ´ith their mental health as a result of the pandemic. This is reflected in the numbers of young people referred to and ´aiting for CAMHS support recently hitting the highest point on record.

“Restrictions have been unavoidable and despite a huge effort by a range of services to mitigate the impact, ´e can’t turn a´ay from the immense toll they have taóen on our children’s mental health. This is ´hy early intervention and alternatives to CAMHS are crucial, and ´hy ´e are calling for increased investment in family services, ´ell placed to support those ´ho need help.”

Public Health Scotland figures last month sho´ed 10,193 children and young people ´ere referred to CAMHS in the three months up to the end of June, an increase of 150Š on the 4,052 for the same period last year and up 30Š on January to March this year.

At the time of our a´ard-´inning investigation last October, there ´ere 28,425 open cases in child and adolescent mental health services. AEY June the number had risen to 28,988. The figures also sho´ the number of young people ´aiting more than a year for treatment trebled in the year up to March, ´hile more children and young people are ´aiting over the target 18 ´eeós to start treatment – up from 26Š in 201X/18 to 33Š in 2020/21.

For the period up to the end of June, more than a quarter of children and young people referred ´ere not seen ´ithin 18 ´eeós, ´ell short of the Scottish Government’s aim that just 10Š should miss this target.

Follo´ing our reports last year, then mental health minister Clare Haughey – one of three MSPS to hold the ministerial brief for mental health since 2018 – said the government ´as taóing meaningful action on mental health and said they’d moved to recruit 80 more CAMHS staff. Ääperts say at least 320 are needed, a number ´hich the government say they’re no´ attempting to meet.

Cre´e added: “The Ðhole Family Ðellbeing Fund recently announced by the Scottish Government is ´elcome, but ´e need to see it become a long-term commitment. As a matter of urgency, ´e need to ensure there is sufficient, appropriate, mental health and ´ellbeing support available in all schools and communities to support this generation of children and young people ´hen they need it the most.”

Âr Catriona Morton, a GP in Ädinburgh and deputy chair of the Royal College of General

Practitioners’ Scottish Council, told Holyrood’s public audit committee this month: “The feedbacó I’ve got is that the ´aiting times are often one to t´o years and that’s also a deterrent to referral because, if you Óno´ people aren’t going to be seen for such a long time and receive treatment for such a long time, it means it’s difficult to say to a patient ‘this is ´hat’s going to happen’. The feedbacó is that GPS, and I include myself, ´ill thinó three or four times before even considering a referral and ´e have high levels of referral rejections.”

Morton read a teät from a fello´ GP ´hose 12-year-old daughter had been on CAMHS’ ´aiting list for more than t´o years, ´hich stated: “In this time her anäiety has progressively ´orsened and has become

critical in the past two months to the extent that she can barely leave the house. She’s been to school less than six days since the start of term. The school have been contacting CAHMS twice weekly asking for her to be urgently seen. The impact on children and their families cannot be overstated.”

Willie Rennie MSP, the former Lib Dem leader who has campaigned for greater action to tackle the mental health crisis, said: “The legacy of a decade of flat-footed responses to this unfolding crisis meant that when the pandemic hit the care system was overwhelmed. If only the SNP government had heeded the pleas from those who saw this crisis coming. The government must accelerate the programme of change including deploying the thousands of underutilised independent mental health counsellors to aid the NHS.”

The charity Papyrus Prevention of Young Suicide say they “remain fearful that children and young people continue to be denied the highquality care and professional support they need”. Over the last year, the charity saw a 25% increase in the number of calls, texts and emails to its confidential helpline.

Ged Flynn, the charity’s chief executive, said: “Vulnerable children and young people need time to heal after the trauma of lockdown which left them feeling lonely, distressed and struggling to cope. We stand ready to work with all services in Scotland. It is important young people know that help is available.”

Samaritans Scotland director Rachel Cackett said: “Our young people, who have faced disruption at key stages of their lives and have suffered uncertainty and a loss of connection over the past 18 months, have been particularly vulnerable.”

Kevin Stewart, minister for mental wellbeing and social care since May, said £40m has been committed to improving CAMHS this year and the service will be closely monitored to ensure waiting times get better.

He added: “This is part of our additional £120 million Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund. Our £1 billion NHS Recovery Plan is also committed to ensuring that by 2026 at least 10% of frontline health spending will be dedicated to mental health, including sufficient funding for around 320 additional staff in CAMHS.”