Therapists hitch for new guidelines Ashortage of therapists will make it difficult for local mental health services to implement new guidelines on offering psychological help to children with depression, a campaigner has warned.
The guidelines, issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, state that services should offer psychological therapy ahead of medication.
But Young Minds deputy director Dinah Morley said there were "almost certainly not enough therapists" to comply with the guidance.
These recommend that children with moderate to severe depression be offered at least three months of cognitive behavioural, interpersonal or family therapy.
According to the guidelines, antidepressants should be offered only in combination with therapy and not offered at all to children with mild depression.
Morley said if the guidelines encouraged more people to demand therapy it would put pressure on new services to be developed, but said many young people would continue to be forced into the private sector for treatment.
"What the guidance heralds is a need for a much greater awareness among all professionals working with children and also the need to have highly specialised professionals available," she said.
