Analyzing Contemporary Issues in Child and Adolescent Mental Health

This essay addresses contemporary issues within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the UK, focusing on challenges such as rising demand, diminishing resources, and unequal access for minority populations. It highlights the prevalence of mental health problems among children and adolescents and the struggles faced by the NHS in meeting the increasing demand for mental healthcare. Key issues include shortages of child psychiatrists, delays in accessing treatment, and the inability of CAMHS to effectively reach minority groups, potentially leading to long-term mental health impacts. The essay suggests a public health approach to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of CAMHS, emphasizing primary prevention programs, advocacy, and early interventions. The conclusion underscores the importance of addressing mental health issues to improve the quality of life for children and adolescents in the UK, while also acknowledging the existing challenges within CAMHS that need to be resolved.

Contemporary Issues in Healthcare Policy
and Practice

INTRODUCTION
 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), is name which is given to
services that are provided in UK for the children who are suffering form difficulties in
their behavioural well-being or with their emotional well-being.
 The services of CAMHS are normally organised locally and the services are provided
can vary as per the local government area.
 Mental health problems are common which typically have the early onset.
 This is also a common problem in UK due to which children and adolescents are
suffering a lot in their early stage of life and even in later stages.
 This is one of the major issue that is going to address this essay. Also, this essay also
includes what can be the long-term consequences and impact on the minorities who are
unable able to access CAMHS.
 There are various core aspects of CAMHS like one of the core aspect is linking of
existing services of borough within CAMHS which also includes the integration of
services and development of strategies..

KEY ISSUES IN CAMHS
 CAMHS are the mental health services which provides a range of mental health care
programs for children, young people, infants till the age of 17 which also includes the
services to provided in hospital settings and community as well.
 Mental health illness in one of the major problem in UK and approximately 1 in every
4 people are experiencing a mental health problem.
 In borough, 1 in 8 people have been reported to experience a common mental health
problem.
 As per the reports from NHS, it has been suffering lot to cope up with the rising
demand of providing a mental healthcare and also it has been reported to that there is
shortage of beds due to increase in number and mental health patients are facing long
delays to get a proper care and assessing treatments particular minorities.

CONT..
 One of the major are which are the major concern of CAMHS and NHS are school age
children as well adolescents.
 Also, in, London borough, number of cases of common mental health problems in the
area is per 1000 of the population which are aged form 16 to 74. There are various key
issues within CAMHS in dealing the mental health issues at national and in borough, as
country is facing an increase in number of mental health issues in a country so, this has
resulted in shortage of adolescent and child psychiatrists which is causing a major issue
in the country at national and local level.
 Due this issues mental health patients are not getting a proper health care services on
time and may also result in delays.
 This is much more worsening the condition for children and adolescents.

CONT..
 Another issue which exists in CAMHS is that it is struggling in dealing with growing
demand of diminishing resources.
 Due to this issue, it has resulted in increase in force of providing care for most acutely
mentally ill adolescents and children which are left with few or no resources in order to
provide effective treatment or early interventions.
 On the other hand another key issue which exists in CAMHS is that these are not
reached to minorities of UK and London, borough though there are range of mental
health services available across the nation and on at local level.
 So, this given rise to another issue which is that inability of CAMHS to reach the
minorities can result in long term mental health impacts on these minorities which can
effect their mental in a sever manner and also can make their mental health conditions
more severe.

PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH
 In order to provide the effective mental health care services in UK and borough
another approach which can be used is public health approach which can increase the
efficiency of CAMHS.
 The principle of public health approach can help in providing a proper framework in order
to understand and investigate the causes and consequence of mental health issues in UK.
 It is can be the best approach for dealing with a problem for mental health issues in local
and national level as it involves primary prevention programs, advocacy and early
interventions of these issues in children an adolescents.
 Public health approach of CAMHS seeks to improve the health and safety of children and
adolescents in UK and borough by addressing various issues associated with it.
 This approach can also be perfect for CAMHS in increasing its effectiveness across the
country, It may include the definition of problem with the help of systematic collection as
information that are related young and adolescents mental health patients in borough and
UK.

CONCLUSION
 It can be concluded that mental health issue in UK and borough is one of the common
social problem and its is really important for the country to minimise this issue in order
to improve the quality of life of children and adolescents.
 Also, Child and Adolescents Mental Health Services are offering a range of mental
healthcare services in UK to the children and youth who are suffering from mental
problems.
 Present report also concludes that there are various key issues which exits in CAMHS
like inadequate mental health care services to minorities and there is a shortage of
psychiatrists in the country which is unable to meet the demand of increasing mental
health issues.

REFERENCES
 Falconer, C.J and et.al ., 2019. Innovations in Practice: Avatar‐based virtual reality in CAMHS talking
therapy: two exploratory case studies. Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
 Fonagy, P. and Pugh, K., 2017. CAMHS goes mainstream. Child and Adolescent Mental Health. 22(1).
pp.1-3.
 Moore, A and et.al., 2016. The crisis in CAMHS: Can I-Thrive provide a solution?. Children and Young
People. pp.4-10.
 Somerville, L. and Brady, E., 2019. Young people and social networking sites: exploring the views and
training opportunities of CAMHS social workers in Ireland. Journal of Social Work Practice, 33(2).
pp.141-155.
 Stafford, V and et.al., 2016. “Why are you here?” Seeking children’s accounts of their presentation to
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). Clinical child psychology and psychiatry. 21(1).
pp.3-18.
 Stallard, P., 2019. Innovations in Practice: Avatar-based virtual reality in CAMHS talking therapy: two
exploratory case studies.

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