Many black and brown children are not referred to mental health services until they reach crisis point (Picture: WikipediaCommons)
Over one million children in England were referred to mental health services last year. That’s an increase of 10 percent from the previous year—and nearly double the number from 2018-19.
Anxiety was listed as the most common reason in the damning report from Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza, which was published this week.
The report exposed the high wait times that children face—the average is 128 days and 60,000 were waiting more than two years for support.
That’s an increase of 44,000 from the previous year.
Children with suspected autism and neurodevelopmental conditions were more likely than other children to be waiting over a year for support.
Only around 13 percent of children with suspected autism and 19 percent with neurodevelopmental conditions went on to receive support by the end of the year.
The median wait time for autistic children was one year.
Miça, a former ADHD nurse in Kensington and Chelsea in west London, told Socialist Worker “This absolutely does not surprise me.
“Waiting lists have been ridiculously high because of cuts to staffing.
“I was the only ADHD nurse in Kensington and Chelsea and when I left, they didn’t replace me.
“What happens to my patients? They’ve been sending patients to private companies for ADHD assessments, they’re only online and not good quality.
“Private companies are making a shit ton of money this way.
Moyra Samuels is a mental health worker in west London who supports people affected by the Grenfell Tower Fire.
“The report reflects what we’ve been hearing from communities, parents, schools and therapists,” she told Socialist Worker.
“There’s a real recognition that diagnosis isn’t enough we need to think of the impacts of social conditions and inequalities.”
But Moyra said that mental health support for Grenfell survivors is being cut. “It means that it’s difficult to predict whether mental health services for Grenfell will continue to be funded,” she said.
“There’s likely to be children who reach adolescence and they’re triggered and there won’t be any services.”
Children in deprived areas were significantly more likely to be referred, with those from the poorest 10 percent of areas made up 15 percent of all referrals.
The report found that black and Asian children were less likely than white children to be referred.
By the time black and Asian children are referred, many are already in a mental health crisis. Some 25 percent who were referred were in crisis.
Moyra added, “My suspicion is there’s a lot of bias and family blaming and the idea that it’s down to dysfunctional families.
“Children sit on waiting lists until they get into a crisis. If they were seen earlier these could be prevented.”
Andy Burnham, who will be the Labour prime minister, has promised to restore “hope in every heart”.
Unions and campaigners have to pressure him to fund mental health services—and kick out the private firms.
19 homes have been destroyed and at least 19 more damaged
Another Blairite gimmick
Human rights groups say the sentences are 'torture'
