A charity has reported that thousands of young people have attempted suicide while enduring long waits for mental health treatment.
The new research from YoungMinds surveyed almost 14,000 young people and found that a quarter (26%) had tried to take their own life as a result of having to wait for help. The responses have been shared with the government as part of its call for evidence for a 10-year mental health plan; however, the charity says this plan could be in jeopardy as Tory leader candidates have yet to commit to it.
YoungMinds asked children and young people aged 25 and under for their views on accessing mental health services, and more than four in 10 (44%) said they had waited more than a month for mental health support after seeking it and 9% said they were turned away. Similarly, more than half (58%) said that their mental health got worse while they were waiting for help.
Roughly 66,000 young people aged 19 and under were referred to Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in April, according to the most recent NHS data—a 109% rise compared to the same month pre-pandemic. The data also revealed that 11,878 youngsters aged 10 to 14 took antidepressants in 2021/22, as did 180,455 children aged 15 to 19.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has urged for more help over the record waiting lists, including for children with eating disorders, saying the already stretched services are at “crisis point”. According to the poll by YoungMinds, 37% of young people did not feel supported by their GP when they tried to access mental health support and more than two-thirds (71%) had problems with their relationships with family and friends as a result of having to wait for treatment.
Calling on the government to end the “crisis” in young people’s mental health, YoungMinds has launched its End The Wait campaign in an attempt to urge the government to take action once more.
Emma Thomas, chief executive of YoungMinds, said: “These numbers paint a shocking picture of the situation young people in this country face when it comes to their mental health. We have also seen this reflected in calls to our parents’ helpline, with an increasing number of people saying their child has attempted to take their own life and still isn’t receiving the right care.
“For years, politicians have promised that they will get a grip of the situation, including a recent commitment to a 10-year plan,” Thomas added. “We know from our own mental health services how vital it is to step in early with support before mental health problems escalate. The next prime minister must commit to improving early intervention support as part of their 10-year plan to help stop these issues in their tracks.”
A government spokesman said: “The death of every young person is a tragedy and the impact on families can be devastating, and we are taking action to give children and young people access to safe, appropriate care. Over 22,000 more children and young people have received access to community mental health services, thanks to our additional £79 million investment into children’s mental health services last year.
“Since 2018, we have seen an increase in NHS staff working in children and young people’s mental health and we are investing in mental health services so that nearly 350,000 more children and young people can access NHS mental health support in England by mid-2024.”
