07 April 2025

Over recent years, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of mental health disorders among young people. But with stretched NHS resources, it can be difficult to access Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Not every child recommended for a referral will need to see a mental health specialist, says Dr Anna Moore from the Department of Psychiatry, but the bottleneck means they can be on the waiting list for up to two years only to be told they don’t meet the criteria for treatment. The quality of advice they get about alternative options that do meet their needs varies a lot.

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