Mentally ill youths now turn to A&E
ROCKETING numbers of mentally ill young people are turning up at A&E in a desperate search for help.
The number of under-18s in England arriving with a “psychiatric condition” soared from 6,161 in 2009-10 to 26,593 in 2018-19.
There is deep concern that children and young people are not getting the help they need early enough to stop serious problems developing.
One in eight people aged five to 19 had a mental disorder in 2017, NHS research reveals. For those aged 17 to 19, the rate was 17 per cent.
And to make matters worse, charities also fear that youngsters suffering with a mental health emergency will find A&E departments frightening.
Emma Thomas, boss of charity Youngminds, said: “We often hear from young people who have gone to A&E because they simply don’t know where else they can turn.
“But A&E can be a crowded and stressful environment and is usually not the best place to get appropriate help.”
She said though there was “a lot of hard work” to improve access to mental health services, “many young people still face long waiting lists and high thresholds for support”.
She continued: “That’s why we need the next government to make early support a priority, so young people can get help locally when problems first emerge, long before they reach crisis point.”
Grace Freeman, of mental health charity Mind, said: “It’s worrying to see that these figures have increased year on year. A&E can be a frightening place for a young person experiencing a mental health crisis.
“Half of all mental health problems have been established by the age of 14, so it’s that crucial services have the resources they need to provide caring and compassionate support much earlier on.
“The NHS in England has promised £2.3billion a year for mental health, in part to improve young people’s mental health services.
“The next government must make sure that the progress made over the past few years continues to be built upon and is not lost.”
Amid concern about the impact poor mental health has on families and the economy, parties are under pressure to deliver policy.
Labour’s Barbara Keeley, shadow minister for mental health and social care, said: “These figures are deeply shocking. Young people should have the support they need for their mental health to prevent them from reaching crisis point.”
But Health minister Nadine Dorries said the rise in figures could be due to improvements.
She said: “Changes to the figures should be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and changes in NHS practice.
“For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care.”
She said the Tories have pledged 1,000 extra staff for NHS community mental health services with “an extra £975million going into these mental health services each year”.