A charity that supports young people facing mental health challenges has praised the government’s decision to allocate additional funding to improve care services.
The funding boost will enhance early support hubs, which offer immediate assistance to young people while they await official treatment from the NHS. These hubs, based in King’s Lynn, Great Yarmouth, and Norwich in Norfolk, are operated by the youth charity MAP.
According to Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, the number of young people on waiting lists has decreased by more than 50% since April 2022, highlighting the impact of early intervention initiatives.
One of the individuals benefiting from this support is 15-year-old Mel from King’s Lynn. She waited four years for a referral for treatment related to post-traumatic stress disorder. After her GP initially refused to refer her to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Mel connected with MAP, where a mental health worker placed her on the NHS waiting list and provided ongoing support during the waiting period.
“I waited months from the point of assessment to the point of my psychological review, but I waited years to actually get a referral,” Mel said. “No one would believe me. Without MAP, I wouldn’t have got my treatment. I think prevention is so much better than cure, and if we can deal with mental health issues before they get worse, it will be so much better for young people.”
Mel believes that the pressures of school are a significant factor in the rising number of young people struggling with their mental health.
The early support hubs were first piloted by the previous Conservative government, and Labour has since confirmed that the program will be extended and expanded.
Dan Mobbs, CEO of MAP, welcomed the government’s decision to provide more funding. “We, along with other charities working in this area, have been pushing the government because we know that the mental health of young people has worsened. One in five young people now have a mental health problem,” he said.
Dan Klyn, a senior mental health worker at MAP’s King’s Lynn location, pointed out that many young people don’t meet the threshold for NHS care, often because they are considered “not sick enough.” “We’re here for them no matter what they come in with,” he added.
While MAP’s in-house services have a waiting list of over six months, young people receive interim support through regular meetings with mental health professionals.
The BBC approached Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust for figures on the number of young people waiting for treatment but did not receive a response. However, the trust stated, “We are committed to delivering high-quality and timely care to children and young people in our communities. Waiting times for both assessment and treatment in CAMHS have significantly improved across our trust.”
