The survey by mental health charity YoungMinds found that 34 of the 51 councils that took part had cut their spending on CAMHS since May 2010.
The biggest reported fall in funding by an authority was 76 per cent over the period.
Local authorities fund educational psychologists, parenting programmes and some specialist social workers through their CAMHS budgets.
Some also pay for targeted mental health services in schools and voluntary sector support, including youth counselling services, child protection teams and looked-after children services.
Sarah Brennan, chief executive of YoungMinds, said that in light of research showing that three children in every classroom has a diagnosable mental health problem, these cuts are jeopardising young people’s wellbeing.
“Early intervention is vital in order to identify problems quickly before they worsen and before referrals for more specialist services are needed,” she said.
“As well as reducing the suffering that young people may be experiencing, intervening early also reduces the need for more expensive forms of treatment when problems become more serious and entrenched."
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
