Mental health support delays of ten years

Children and young people with mental health difficulties face a ten year gap between displaying symptoms and receiving help, a report by the Centre for Mental Health has said.

‘Missed opportunities’ analyses recent evidence about the mental health of children and young people in the UK and found that despite mental health problems being very common among young people, awareness remains poor and attempts by parents to get help for their children are usually unsuccessful.

The report claims there is an average resulting delay of ten years before they receive the necessary help, in which time problems can become progressively worse. The most common mental health problems with young people are behavioural, believed to affect one in 20 children.

The chances of mental health problems are enhanced when bullying, neglect and abuse are taken into consideration, as well as if a child’s parent suffers from poor mental health.

Lorraine Khan, associate director for children and young people at Centre for Mental Health, said: “Good mental health is shaped very early on at the first spark of life. Childhood experiences and exposure to risks for poor mental health make some children especially vulnerable to both emotional and behavioural problems. And the longer they are exposed to risks such as neglect, abuse, bullying and the effects of poverty, the more their life chances are undermined.

“Most common childhood mental health problems can be treated effectively. Early help is vital to have the best chance of success. There is good evidence for a range of interventions to boost children’s mental health, and the sooner effective help is offered the more likely it is to work.

“Schools have a particularly important role in protecting children’s mental health. This can be done most effectively through a ‘whole school approach’ including classroom-based skills development and awareness raising, anti-bullying programmes, raised staff mental health literacy, and speedy access to help for children who need it."