The shame of Britain while 70 children treated for mental illness at A & E EVERY DAY

Seventy children are treated at A & E for mental illness every day, four times more than ten years ago.

Shameful statistics reveal that 26,582 minors under the age of 18 were sent to victim units in England and treated for psychiatric problems of the year at the end of April.

The previous year, it was 22% lower than 22%. And 10 years ago, the number was relatively low 6.192.

The disturbing figures cover children suffering from conditions such as depression, anxiety, irregularities in diet, personality disorders and addictive behaviors.

Experts say children should never end up in emergency rooms because early intervention should have taken place.

Increasing levels of poverty, loneliness, social media pressure and poor prospects for the future could contribute to more children with psychiatric problems.

Liberal MP Norman Lamb, a former health minister, said the NHS Digital figures were "deeply disturbing" and showed that children were abandoned.

He added: "By investing in prevention, we can reduce the number of children who end up in a hospital bed."

Richard Crellin, Policy Officer at the Children's Society, said wait times were too long. He said, "Children with mental health problems should never be in the A & E category. It is a failure of the system they are committing.

"Long wait times and high thresholds for access to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) mean that many children receive treatment only when they reach their breaking point." . We want children to be able to access early support and use services such as drop-in centers for walk-ins, walk-ins to prevent their problems from getting worse.

"Our research has shown that children's well-being is in decline and that an extremely large number of youth are self-injurious. Reasons include problems related to school and social media appearance, intimidation and even baduality and gender stereotypes. "

An Office of National Statistics study conducted in 2015 found that teens who spend more than three hours a day on social media are twice as likely to suffer from mental illness as those who limit their time on sites. such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Dr Bernadka Dubicka, a child psychiatrist, said increasing poverty and reduced prospects also fueled the crisis for children.

And she said that young people were reporting increasing levels of "loneliness and despair".

She said: "What we often see on the front line is the effects of abuse, trauma and social deprivation, as well as the effects of cuts in the social protection of vulnerable children and youth. It is essential to improve access to support services for mental health issues, in order to prevent children and youth from falling into a crisis and reducing the number of mental health problems. A & E badistance ".

Dr. Dubicka, chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists for Children and Youth, urged the government to urgently review "the current crisis in the recruitment and retention of mental health workers".

She said that the number of psychiatrists for children and adolescents has decreased by 5% in the last five years, while referrals in the last three years have increased by 44%. New NHS data indicates that 23,686 mental health staff members resigned between June 2017 and May 2018. And one in 10 mental health positions were vacant. Emma Thomas, executive director of the charity YoungMinds, said: "It is alarming to see such a dramatic increase in the number of young people arriving in the emergency sector who need mental health support.

"One of the main reasons why emergency services are overloaded is that young people in difficulty do not get help early enough, which means problems can get worse.

"We often hear about young people who have turned to A & E because they do not know where to turn. But A & E can be an overcrowded and stressful environment and is not usually the best place to get proper help. "

The NHS long-term plan, released in January, found that less than one-third of affected children had access to treatment and support in 2017-18.

In addition, shocking research conducted by the Center for Mental Health has revealed that it takes on average 10 years from the onset of the first mental health symptoms for young people to get help. appropriate.

Kadra Abdinasir, head of child and youth mental health at the center, said: "It is crucial that the next Green Paper on Prevention and Expenditure Review of the Government prioritize children's mental health . "

A recent study by the UK Children's Commissioner found that spending on "low-level" children's mental health services by NHS councils and trusts, which cover early intervention, has declined in more than a third localities.

This means less funding for drop-in centers, online counseling services and vital school nurses.

Anne Longfield, Children's Commissioner, said: "Children with anxiety and depression do not seek intensive treatment treatment in hospital, they just want to talk to a counselor and be counseled on how to avoid it. that the problems do not turn into a crisis. " "The most reliable data show a slight increase in the number of mental disorders among 5-15 year olds, from 9.7% in 1999 to 11.2% in 2017. The notable increases in visits to the NHS are therefore probably a combination of better awareness and better diagnostic record.

"The NHS long-term plan continues to increase early help in the community, schools and colleges so that by 2023-2024, every year, an additional 345,000 people will receive the help they need."