Children with problems that stem from abuse have been rejected by local specialist NHS mental health services. According to a new research conducted by NSPCC, one fifth of all children that has been referred by was refused with proper care.
According to statistics from 35 Mental Health trusts in England, there was a total of 186,453 cases referred by GPs and other professionals and 39,652 of these children did not receive help. Also, 305 out of 1843 children needing mental care service were rejected by six mental health trusts who provided a breakdown of outcome for children referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). Most of the rejected cases was children whose problems were associated with abuse and neglect have been cast off because they did not meet the clinical threshold to qualify for CAMHS treatment.
The NSPCC said that most children who suffered from abuse will not have a diagnosable mental health problem that puts them at a particular risk since they still need therapeutic support for their trauma.
The Chief Executive of NSPCC Peter Wanless stated that there has been an increase in awareness about all forms of abuse of children in recent years. He added that children who do not receive proper mental care and support may end up with post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thoughts in adulthood, and the damage could possibly last a lifetime. Furthermore, he said that CAMHS has been one of the many institutions that failed to meet the needs of neglected abused children. Some of these children are desperate and frightened about their feelings and are still unable to get mental health services.
On the other hand, mental illness in children can be hard for parents to identify, and it may result to untreated illnesses and lack of support that the children may need.
Children's mental health is the most important part of any child's social development. They need to have a good mental status in order to live up to their full potential.
