Child and adolescent mental health – a guide for healthcare professionals
June 2006
Conclusion
The government has recognised the importance of mental wellbeing among children and adolescents, and the need to improve services for those with mental health problems. In recent years, a variety of new policies and strategies to address this area have been introduced. Implementation of many of these strategies has only recently begun; as such there is currently insufficient evidence to determine how effective they are or will be in the future. It is vital that implementation is properly monitored and research into the outcomes of the various strategies is carried out. As CAMHS encompasses all services working with children, including health, social care and education, all professionals within these services must work together to ensure an effective multidisciplinary approach is achieved and that individuals do not slip through gaps in provision. This is equally important in the transition from CAMHS to AMHS; these services must work together to ensure that all young adults receive the care and treatment they need.
Current government policies are well intentioned; these must now be put into practice. The recommendations from the BMA follow.
Recommendations
- Government policies and strategies that are currently being implemented, such as 'Every child matters', 'Choosing health' and the national service frameworks, must be fully monitored, and data collected and analysed to ensure that they are effective and addressing need. This information should be made publicly available and accessible.
- The government must address the current shortage of mental healthcare professionals.
- There must be adequate funding for CAMHS to ensure that they are properly resourced and staffed.
- Innovative services are needed to meet the needs of young people, and access to such services must be improved. Examples include a range of venues that differ from the traditional clinical setting, and easy access to a mixture of services.
- It is essential that all professionals providing CAMHS receive adequate training and support enabling them to work effectively together. Measures that have already been taken to implement multi-agency working must be continued and extended. Governments need to ensure that the resources, including training in the healthcare information technology system, are available to allow this to happen.
Mental health inequalities
- The provision of appropriate mental health services to 16 and 17 year olds must be improved. Young people should not be receiving adult care when they are not mature enough to do so. CAMHS should be extended to encompass this age group in all areas.
- Collaboration between CAMHS and AMHS must continue and improve to ensure a smooth transition to adult services.
- The provision of mental health services to looked after children and young people must be improved. CAMHS professionals and registered carers need training in order to support these groups in their particular needs.
- The current inadequacy of mental health services for children and young people with learning disabilities must be addressed.
- The reforms outlined in the Child Poverty Review must be implemented to end child deprivation and therefore reduce risk factors for mental health problems.
- Current inequalities in mental healthcare experienced by BME groups must be tackled:
- initiatives set out by NIMHE and DH must be properly implemented
- healthcare professionals and providers of CAMHS should receive training in cultural values and beliefs, to enable them to care for children and young people from BME backgrounds more effectively. Language translation services must be available
- racism within mental health services must be tackled and eliminated.
- Barriers to receiving healthcare faced by asylum seeker and refugee children must be addressed.
- Actions must be taken to improve access to mental health services in young offender institutions, and to tackle the high rate of suicide among young offenders.
- In addition to the above, CAMHS in Northern Ireland must be reformed and modernised, in line with current policy recommendations, to address gaps in provision.
- There is a need to improve public knowledge and understanding of mental health.
- There should be better provision and dissemination of information about mental health aimed at children and young people, appropriate to different age ranges. This should include information about what different mental health problems are, how and where to access help and support, what different mental health professionals do, and what treatments entail. Information should be presented in a variety of media that appeal to children and young people, and in different languages.
- The media should be encouraged to show those with mental health problems in a positive light, including children and young people.
- There is a need for more and better mental health promotion to BME groups in order to address health inequalities.
- Current strategies to address stigma and discrimination against those with mental health problems must be fully implemented. They should be monitored to ensure that they are adequate and effective.