SAMH comment on new CAMHS stats

7th December 2021

Today (Tuesday 7 December 2021), new figures from Public Health Scotland showed that despite a drop in the number of young people being referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS); 27 percent of these referrals were rejected, up from 22 percent last quarter.

 

Commenting on the figures, Billy Watson, chief executive of SAMH said:

“While it’s good to see waiting times for children and young people have improved, this is in the context of fewer people being referred for treatment and an increase in rejected referrals.

“Behind the numbers are thousands of children and young people who continue to be turned away from specialist services and support, with many telling us they need to be at crisis point before help is offered. 

"It’s heart-breaking that young people are struggling on alone, possibly becoming more ill, when we know with the right support they can recover.

“The Scottish Government has repeatedly made promises on young people’s mental health and while improvements in waiting times are welcome, there are still serious problems in the system. Action is needed now.”