Candidate Backs Call For more Support for Young People’s Mental Health Services

 Green Party candidate in the Penkhull and Stoke by election Adam Colclough has joined mental health charity MIND in calling on the government to do more to help young people struggling with their mental health.

 

In a letter to Nadine Dorries MP Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Adam Colclough calls on the government to fund a network of support hubs for young people aged 11-25.

 

These would provide easy access to support services without the need for a referral and be in places that are easy for users to get to.

 

Adam Colclough said: “I have been a volunteer for local mental health charities for almost ten years and over that time have seen that difficulty accessing services is a major barrier experienced by people seeking help and one that has only been made worse by the pandemic”.

 

He added to this that things can be particularly challenging for young people saying “CAMHS services have been seriously underfunded for years, even though this is seriously counterproductive since people who get help with mental health issues early on tend to experience better long-term outcomes”

 

Data from a report published by the Centre for Mental Health based on 200 academic studies from around the world suggests 10,023,453 people, including 1.5 million young people, could need mental health support over the next three to five years [1].

 

Office for National Statistics data published in June 2020 show that 19.2% of adults polled said they had experienced feelings of depression due to the pandemic, many also reported feeling more stressed and 84.9% said their personal relationships had suffered as a result [3].

 

Young people have found the past year of restrictions and lockdowns particularly challenging, and this has had an impact on their mental health. Figures produced by NHS Digital in April show that rates of mental health problems in young people have risen from 10.8% in 2017 to 16.0% in 2020 [2].

 

Adam Colclough said: “supporting people who are struggling with their mental health due to the difficulties of the past year has to be an integral part of our national recovery plans. That is why I am backing MIND in their call for the opening of mental health hubs for young people”.

 

[1]https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/publication/download/CentreforMentalHealth_COVID_MH_Forecasting4_May21.pdf

[2]https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2020-wave-1-follow-up

[3]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/coronavirusanddepressioninadultsgreatbritain/june2020