YoungMinds claims sharp rise in illness

Y

oung people’s mental health is showing evidence of a
“dramatic deterioration”, a leading children’s
charity has warned.

YoungMinds head Barbara Herts said that, despite extra cash, child
and adolescent mental health services were struggling to meet
demand.

“For some reason this seems to be happening in the UK but not
in other countries such as the US or the Netherlands,” she
said.

New facilities such as the Priory Centre, which serves 16 to 21
year olds, have been welcomed. But Herts said better provision was
needed for younger children, and called for earlier
intervention.

Research by the charity published last week found that young people
from ethnic minorities were particularly poorly served by
services.

• Research at
  www.youngminds.org.uk