The NHS Solent, which covers Southampton and Portsmouth, has revealed that one in ten youngsters aged between 5 and 16, who were referred to the trust between September 2010 and August, suffered a clinically diagnosable mental health problem such as depression.
“What is clear is that levels of emotional disorders, including depression as well as anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders, are rising in line with other referrals to the NHS Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) here in the city,” said Barbara Inkson, child clinical psychology at Solent NHS Trust.
Earlier in February, the NHS CAMHS in Sussex estimated it was working with about 330 under-11s and about 830 12 to 18-year-olds suffering from anxiety and/or depression.
British Experts mentioned that unemployment, financial problems and drug abuse among parents of depressed children are among the causes of the widespread problem.
The NHS Solent Trust also revealed that 378 patients, aged 16 and under, were referred for a range of mental health therapies not just for depression, including cognitive behavior therapy, between September 2010 and August 2011.
Referring to the UK government’s recent announcement of an extra £22m funding to tackle child mental health over three years, Sarah Brennan, chief executive of the charity Young Minds, said, “It is vital that we invest in children and young people’s mental health in order to prevent a generation of children suffering entrenched mental health problems as adults.”
SSM/HE
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