Mental health crisis sees more children in A&E
AN “unprecedented” number of children are going to casualty with psychiatric problems, as NHS figures reveal that A&E admissions have nearly quadrupled in a decade.
The number of attendances at accident and emergency departments in England by under-18s with a primary diagnosis of psychiatric conditions increased from 6,950 in 2010-2011 to 27,430 in 2020-2021.
Campaigners say more young people are seeking emergency help and “will continue to do so as the full scale of the fallout from the pandemic is felt as restrictions end”. But they warn that the rising demand is outpacing investment and the NHS must be better equipped to deal with the “immediate scale of the crisis”.
It is even more acute for those over 65 – A&E admissions for psychiatric problems rose eightfold in the same period, from 7,318 to 60,375.
People attending casualty for mental health problems also increased for all other age groups.
Figures for the 18-24s more than doubled to 42,729, 25-49s doubled to 104,052 and 50-64s nearly tripled to 36,968. Emma Thomas, CEO of the Youngminds charity, said: “These figures demonstrate that we are in an unprecedented situation.
“We know more young people have been seeking help from the NHS and will continue to do so as the full scale of the fallout from the pandemic is felt as restrictions end.
“While there is higher awareness about mental health than in the past, many young people still find it hard to reach out for help until they hit crisis point. For those who do seek help, it can still be really difficult to get early support. Facing a long wait or not meeting the threshold for treatment can have devastating consequences, which means problems can escalate. There can be no clearer evidence that the number of young people needing help from the NHS is unsustainable.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We recognise the impact the pandemic has had on everyone, especially children and young people. We have committed an additional £500million this year to support those most affected, including £79million for children’s mental health services.”