Scotland’s youngsters are facing a ‘mental health emergency’

Almost a third of youngsters needing specialist help with their mental health waited longer than the target time for treatment, "extremely alarming" figures have shown.

Official statistics showed at the end of September there were 8,331 children and young people waiting to start receiving help from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).

The waiting list was down from the 9,729 recorded at the end of June and the 11,785 at the end of September 2021.

Meanwhile, a total of 4,990 youngsters started receiving Camhs treatment in the period July to September – down from from 5,205 in the previous quarterbut up by 30.2 percent on the 3,833 who started treatment in July to September 2021.

Of those who did start getting help, the Public Health Scotland figures showed 67.9 per cent had been seen within 18 weeks of being referred for help – well below the Scottish Government standard of having 90 percent begin treatment within this time.

The Scottish Children's Services Coalition called for more funding to be allocated to CAMHS services, as it said it was "extremely alarming" that almost a third of youngsters were waiting longer than the target time.

A spokesperson for the group said: "We are facing a mental health emergency and many of our children and young people are at breaking point, with stress and anxiety reaching alarming levels because of the effect of the cost-of-living crisis.”

Opposition politicians also demanded action from the Scottish Government, with Conservative mental wellbeing spokesperson Sue Webber branding the latest camhs figures as being" nothing short of disgraceful".

She added: "More and more vulnerable children and young people are finding it increasingly hard to access crucial mental health services as quickly as possible on the SNP'S watch.”

Labour's mental health spokesperson, Carol Mochan, said the "disastrous" figures showed that "mental health services in Scotland are in a tailspin".

She added: "SNP inaction has forced these services to crisis point – with the most vulnerable in our society bearing the brunt.we now risk an entire generation being failed by SNP inaction."

Mental wellbeing minister Kevin Stewart said: "Boards are working hard to clear their backlogs and to see those who have waited the longest first.”