Shocking documentary on Channel 4 shows demand for child mental health is at its highest level – The Sun

BRETAGNE is plagued by an epidemic of depression among young people: 68% of young people aged 16 to 30 report having a mental health problem.

Last year alone, 700,000 young people under the age of 19 were referred to mental health services, an increase of 45% over two years ago.

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The demand is at its highest level, as revealed by a shocking documentary on Channel 4 on television tomorrow.

It is being broadcast as tributes from struggling schoolboy Sam Connor, who was killed this month at Chertsey Station in Surrey, were killed.

The "bright and popular" 14-year-old teenager was reportedly bullied at his Catholic elementary school.

Just days after the tragedy, an investigation was launched into the death of 17-year-old Joel Langford, who was killed by a train in March after recording a farewell video for his family.

The freshman, from Marlow, Bucks, has been described as "extremely intelligent".

But he felt alone when his friends left school, bullies calling him "weird, loser and backward," said his mother, Susan.

& # 39; NOT GIVEN SUPPORT THEY NEED & # 39;

Disturbingly, Dispatches' documentary reveals that while more and more young people are asking for help, many are not getting the help they need.

Between 2017 and 2018, only three in ten young people with a mental health problem have received treatment funded by the NHS.

And as the waiting list for therapy continues to grow, GPs prescribe more and more ANTIDEPRESSANTS to young people in the meantime.

Parveen, 18, of Solihull, West Mids, has been waiting for six months of talk therapy after repeated suicidal thoughts.

Her doctor prescribed antidepressants – but three days later she tried to commit suicide.

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Now, three months later, she tells Dispatches her despair when she learned that her therapy had been delayed – again – until an indeterminate date.

Speaking of her depression, she said, "It was like constantly thinking about not wanting to be alive.

"I said I did not feel good about myself, I did not want to do anything.

"I just felt that I needed to talk to someone about what I was feeling. The therapist said on the phone: "I will not lie to you, the waiting list is five to six months". I went back to my doctor.

"She was a bit like," OK, I'm going to prescribe antidepressants. "

"I thought," Why do I get antidepressants, because I just want to talk to someone? "

"But I did not have that and I did not have access to it.

The waiting list has been lengthened, you will not receive treatment any time soon.

Parveen

"So I took them for two days and the second day, I remember it was the first time I was hurting myself. And it was like hurting himself with, like, the intention to commit suicide.

"My mother found me and then called the ambulance." Parveen summarizes a letter from the NHS: "The waiting list has been lengthened, you will not get treatment anytime soon."

She adds, "It's just, as if it's heartbreaking."

A request for access to information shows that in 2017-2018, half of children in need of specialized treatment waited more than 18 weeks after receiving help after a first Evaluation.

And according to Dr. Rachel Preston, senior general practitioner at Lakes Medical Practice in Penrith, Cumbria, antidepressants are often used to bridge the gap between demand and NHS services.

She said, "Sometimes it can be the right thing for a young person, but it's really complicated, especially with the current advice.

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"Obviously, the ideal is that they get proper support in mental health.

"I think one of the difficulties is, as everyone knows, that GPs may be under more pressure and therefore have less time than necessary, and sometimes it's easier to prescribe than to sit down at listen and try to solve complex problems. emotional problems.

"What you would like is psychological support and therapies to help that person improve. If this is not available, one of your choices is an antidepressant. And that may be the option you need to choose.

Only one drug, Fluoxetine, can be prescribed for children under 18 years of age.

A survey by Dispatches revealed that among the 39% of general practitioners who prescribe the drug to those under 18, only 1% thought it was the best treatment.

Dr. James Davies, who is conducting a study on the effects of antidepressants, found that weaning can take months after the patient stops taking it.

And he warned that in extreme cases, the symptoms are so severe that they can result in suicide. He said, "About half of people taking antidepressants have been weaned.

"In the most severe cases, we saw people commit suicide because they could not bear the severity of the symptoms."

Peter, 22, told the program that he "felt like he wanted to die" when he started to retire after three months.

While one in five children aged 19 to 19 in eight would now have a mental health problem, the crisis that threatens the next generation has never been so acute.

However, at the end of the tunnel, it is clear that the stigma surrounding mental health problems has never been so low.

MORE MONEY IN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Campaigns such as Heads Together, led by Royals Wills, Kate, Harry and Meghan, are renowned for helping young people to express their feelings.

But Dispatches calls for more to be done to ensure that there is adequate support when these young people make the decision to express themselves.

Jenny, a teenager, explains to the program: "These campaigns ask people to ask for help, saying," It's good to feel like that, there will be help if you reach out. "

"There is none, there is no help, so I think it's dangerous to say that to people."

Dr. Marc Bush of the Young Minds Charity for Mental Health calls on the government to put more money into youth mental health services.

He said, "What we need is for each government to prioritize mental health.

"There has been a historic underfunding of children's mental health.

"Many of the young people and families we talk to say they wait too long before they get access to a specialized service. They are sometimes refused because their needs are not considered sufficient.

"It's really worrisome, because we do not want people to end up with complex needs, we do not want them to be in a crisis situation.

"Basically, in the future, we will have to have a system that does not wait for the diagnosis.

"He recognizes distress, crisis – and offers people quality support when they need it."

• Dispatches: Young British and Depressed, tomorrow, 8 pm, Channel 4.

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