Rise in number of children needing treatment for severe mental health crisis
Under-18s requiring emergency care can be suicidal or may be seriously ill as a result of eating disorders.
There has been a rise in the number of children across England needing specialist treatment for severe mental health crisis.
NHS data shows a 10% rise in emergency, very urgent and urgent referrals for under-18s, to 34,793 between April and October 2024, up from 31,749 in the same period the previous year.
Children requiring emergency care may be suicidal or seriously ill as a result of eating disorders.
No young person should reach crisis point with their mental health, but as these concerning figures show, thousands of young people urgently need help
Those needing an urgent referral also need to be seen quickly and could be at risk of serious harm.
The data, analysed by the charity YoungMinds for the PA news agency, shows there were 4,424 new “very urgent referrals” to mental health crisis care teams between April 2024 and October 2024, up 13% from 3,912 in the same period in the previous year.
There were also 24,886 new “urgent referrals” to crisis care teams between April and October, up 13% from 22,045 in the same period the year before.
Meanwhile, some 5,483 new “emergency referrals” to crisis care teams were made between April and October, down 5% from 5,792.
Early support would help prevent many young people from becoming more unwell, but instead their mental health is deteriorating, pushing them into crisis and, in some instances, putting young people’s lives at risk
Put together, the figures show a 10% rise in all NHS urgent and emergency care referrals across the period.
Data for October alone shows that new referrals to liaison psychiatry teams from A&E departments were up 4%, from 2,292 in October 2023 to 2,386 in October 2024.
Liaison psychiatry teams are usually based in hospitals and include psychiatrists and mental health nurses, together with other staff such as psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists.
Laura Bunt, chief executive at YoungMinds, said: “No young person should reach crisis point with their mental health, but as these concerning figures show, thousands of young people urgently need help.
“Early support would help prevent many young people from becoming more unwell, but instead their mental health is deteriorating, pushing them into crisis and, in some instances, putting young people’s lives at risk.
Growing up today is incredibly tough. Many young people are experiencing multiple pressures including poverty, inequality, intense academic pressure and the online world, so it’s no wonder so many are struggling
“This is a shocking betrayal of young people and their mental health.
“Growing up today is incredibly tough. Many young people are experiencing multiple pressures including poverty, inequality, intense academic pressure and the online world, so it’s no wonder so many are struggling.
“Tweaks to the system will no longer work. We need major reforms that address the root causes of why so many young people are struggling.
“It must also be easier for young people to get help for their mental health when they need it.
“To make this happen, the Government must urgently fulfil its promise to roll out early support hubs in every community.”
Dr Elaine Lockhart, chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ child and adolescent faculty, said: “Children and young people are resilient, but the pandemic, cost-of-living crisis and a range of other factors have had a significant impact on their mental health in recent years.
Mental health services help thousands of young people recover from mental ill-health every year but they’re struggling to manage soaring demand due to staff shortages and a lack of resources
“We’ve seen a surge in the number of young people experiencing mental health problems partially because of this.
“Mental health services help thousands of young people recover from mental ill-health every year but they’re struggling to manage soaring demand due to staff shortages and a lack of resources.
“This is contributing to longer waiting lists and more young people reaching a crisis point before they can access the care they need.”
Dr Lockhart said pressures in the system meant there were challenges in retaining and recruiting staff.
“The Government must provide frontline mental health services, including the mental health workforce, with the support and funding they need to treat young people in a timely manner,” she added.
“This will help ensure young people are able to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives which is good for individuals as well as the NHS and the economy.”
We will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers, provide young people with access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and a Young Futures hub in every community
Separate data analysed by PA shows a 5% rise in one year in hospital admissions involving the eating disorders anorexia and bulimia.
In 2022/23 there were 9,371 admissions in England for people with anorexia among all ages, rising to 9,969 in 2023/24.
Meanwhile, there were 5,075 admissions for people with bulimia in 2022/23, rising to 5,212 in 2023/24.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Too many children and young people are?waiting too long to access the mental health care they need.
“We will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers, provide young people with access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and a Young Futures hub in every community.
“As part of our Plan for Change, we will get the NHS back on its feet, making it fit for the future.”