The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading independent and third sector providers of children’s services, has warned of a mental health “perfect storm” for children and young people. It has also called for a “national crusade” to tackle this.
The warning comes on the back of figures from Public Health Scotland which indicate that the number of referrals to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) has dropped by a staggering 55.8 per cent between quarters January and March 2020 and April and June 2020 (from 9,017 to 3,985). 1
These range from a 66.7 per cent fall in referrals for NHS Dumfries and Galloway to 7.7 per cent in NHS Orkney (full table in Notes to Editors).
It also highlights that in June 2020, 1,136 children and young people had been waiting more than a year for treatment, up from 581 on the same point last year.2
The SCSC has warned that mental health services will face an overwhelming and unprecedented pressure due to pent-up demand created by the COVID-19 lockdown, coupled with a cut in youth support services. This could potentially lead to a “lost generation” of vulnerable children and young people who are missing out on the support they vitally need.
It has called for a “national crusade”, with the Scottish Government working closely with authorities, including the third and independent sectors, and investing significantly in mental health services. The coalition has also urged that greater awareness is made of the services on offer, especially those at a community level.
The SCSC has warned that self-isolation and social distancing have had an impact on young people struggling with issues such as anxiety and depression. It has noted that even the most resilient children are going to need additional support as they navigate this transition back into whatever is the new normal, and some will need a lot of extra support.
A report commissioned by Young Scot, YouthLink Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament, called Lockdown Lowdown, found almost two-fifths of young people felt moderately or extremely concerned about their own mental wellbeing.3
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “These latest figures are deeply troubling and point to a ‘perfect storm’ for our young people, with increased demand coupled with cuts in services.
“While referrals have dropped during lockdown and children are not accessing support, we are storing up immense problems for the future as specialist mental health services face being overwhelmed due to greatly increased demand.
“We need a ‘national crusade’ to deliver the mental health provision our young people desperately need. The Government needs to work urgently with the relevant authorities to ensure that not only is there sufficient provision available at the local community level, but that this is clearly communicated and easily accessible for young people and their parents or carers.
“It is not just the NHS, but the third sector and other independent organisations play a key role in addressing mental health services and must receive the funding they vitally need or we face a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people.”
Six out of ten young people waiting over 18 weeks to be seen in Lothian
The number of children and young adults waiting over 18 weeks to be seen by a mental health professional has increased to 147 out of 247 patients seen, 59.5%, In June 2020 the latest month of statistics available.
As of June 2020 there are 2,482 young people waiting to be seen in Edinburgh and the Lothians, with a record 472 waiting for over a year, 19% of total waits.
In April to June 2020 there were 825 CAMHS referrals, with 109 rejected, making a total of 706 new referrals. This is compared to 1,659 referrals in January to March 2020, with 382 referrals rejected, making a total of 1277 new referrals.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “These figures reinforce the mental health crisis for young people in NHS Lothian with exceptionally long waits to be seen by a mental health professional.
“Mental Health professionals in NHS Lothian work incredibly hard to support young people who are struggling with their mental health, but services are simply not being properly resourced to meet demand.
“Lockdown, Covid-19 restrictions and failures by SNP Ministers over SQA results will all have added to stresses for young people making mental health support even more important.
“SNP Ministers have presided over our health service for over 13 years and have failed to support a generation of young people.”
1 NHS Information Services Division, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Waiting Times in Scotland – Full report (PDF link), 1st September, Table 5, Available at: https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/conditions-and-diseases/mental-health/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-services-camhs-waiting-times/ (accessed 1st September 2020).
2 Ibid., waiting times table 1b
3 Young Scot, YouthLink Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament, Lockdown Lockdown – what young people in Scotland are thinking about COVID-19 (PDF), 23rd April 2020. Available at: https://www.youthlinkscotland.org/media/4486/lockdown-lowdown-final-report.pdf (accessed 11th August 2020).
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