Majority of children not receiving mental health treatment within year of referral

More than two thirds of the 338,000 children referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in 2017/18 (69 per cent) did not receive treatment within a year, research has found. Official data obtained by the Children’s Commissioner for England shows that 31 per cent – fewer than one in three children – received treatment within 12 months of being referred. Meanwhile, 32 per cent were still on waiting lists at the end of the year. The largest proportion (37 per cent) were either not accepted for treatment or were discharged following an assessment appointment. Read more.