SNP misses mental health targets for young Scots

Increasing numbers of children suffering mental health problems are being sent to adult or non-specialist hospital wards despite specific ministerial pledges to halve the number of such cases.

A new report by the Mental Welfare Commission reveals that there were 149 admissions of boys and girls as young as 12 to adult or non-specialist paediatric wards last year, an increase on the previous year despite a ministerial promise in 2006 to cut numbers by 50% by this year. That year, under the previous Scottish Executive, there were 186 admissions.

The report also raises concerns about the lack of specialist services and educational provision offered to such children.

Dr Donald Lyons, director of the commission, said: “Young people under 18 should only be admitted to adult mental health wards where there is no other reasonable option.

“We are concerned that there are still too many of these admissions and we have found that young people do not always get the care, treatment and support that they need while they are in adult wards.

“From information reported to us, we do not think the Government is meeting its target to reduce these admissions and we are especially worried that the number of 16 and 17-year-old boys admitted to adult mental health wards appears to have gone up.

“Boys of this age are not emotionally mature and need at least the same access to specialist care as girls. If young people are admitted to adult wards, they need better access to age-appropriate care.”

While some health boards saw a decrease from 2007-8, others had increases. Admissions in Greater Glasgow and Clyde almost doubled from 22 to 41.

Billy Watson, chief executive of the ­Scottish Association for Mental Health, said: “There has been an increase in investment in child and adolescent mental health services this year – for example, there is a new purpose-built unit at Stobhill in Glasgow – and we welcome this. But it’s vital that all health boards meet their duty under the Mental Health Act to provide age-appropriate services.

“A child or young person in an adult ward is less likely to see a specialist psychiatrist or take part in social activities, and may well have their education disrupted, so we want to see even greater effort put into providing the right care for under-18s.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We expect children and young people who need in-patient mental health care to be looked after in specialist facilities. There are some reasons why this may not always be possible – for example, a crisis admission out of hours where there are concerns for the young person’s safety, or where a specialist facility might be a considerable distance from family support that could help recovery.

“If a young person has to be in an adult ward, we expect their care to be tailored to their needs with input from specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) staff, taking into account education, social work advocacy and recreation.

“We are making an extra £2 million a year available to boards to expand CAMHS services, we are investing an extra £6.5m over the next three years to increase the number of specialist CAMHS psychologists, and setting a waiting time target for specialist CAMHS – meaning by March 2013, no-one will wait longer than 26 weeks from referral to treatment.”