Sharp rise in children facing long delay for mental health support

More than 1,500 children had been waiting a year or more for specialist help with mental health problems by the end of 2020 – with the total having increased by almost 165% in 12 months.

New figures showed that at the end of December a total of 1,560 youngsters had been waiting 52 weeks or more for an appointment with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

That is up from 589 at the end of December 2019 – a rise of 164.8%

By the end of 2020, 11,166 children and young people were waiting to be seen by CAMHS – with campaigners at the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) complaining that the number waiting more than a year was the worst on record.

Public Health Scotland’s latest waiting times report explained that the rise in

the number of youngsters experiencing long waits was “potentially due to a combination of school closures, some CYP (children and young people) not having access to a safe-confidential space to engage in digital appointments, or have a desire to wait for an in-person appointment”.

The SCSC branded the latest figures as “deeply troubling”. While the Scottish Government has recently upped investment in mental health services, an SCSC spokesman insisted that “significantly greater funding is needed to address the current crisis facing our young people”.

The spokesman said that with CAMHS referrals now beginning to return to the level they were at before the coronavirus lockdown, it was “vital that children and families are provided with the support they need, especially given the impact of the pandemic on mental health”.

While the Scottish Government has set the target of having at least 90% of CAMHS patients seen within 18 weeks, the figures showed that this was achieved for less than three quarters (73.1%) of those who had their first appointments between October and December 2020.

Clare Haughey, minister for mental health.