It's a bit of a concerning situation we've got here. The number of young people getting referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services has shot up (by 353%) and in one sense that's a good thing, given what we know about how many are suffering. The problem is that the number of doctors in these services hasn't kept pace (up by only 19%). So, we’ve got this growing gap between what young people need for their mental health and what's actually available in terms of care.

What happens in that gap? Well, it's not good news. Young people end up spending more time in A&E because they're in mental health crises, and they can't access the help they need when they need it. The waiting lists for CAHMS are still sky-high, and the bar for getting help is set pretty high.¹

But there's a glimmer of hope on the horizon: by 2024, the NHS are planning to roll out 500 Mental Health Support Teams in schools all over the country.² There are 287 already in place. These teams are there to help with mild to moderate mental health issues, and early signs suggest they're making a positive impact on young people and the schools they're based in. The new UK Government has also announced their intention to introduce a new Children's Wellbeing Bill and reform to the Mental Health Act, but we'll have to wait a while to see what the impact on young people may be.