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One in four children seeking mental health support rejected for treatment

3 mins read Mental health
More than a quarter of children referred to mental health services are being denied help despite extra government funding to improve access, according to latest figures from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
One in four young people have been denied mental health treatment, new figures show. Picture: Shutterstock
One in four young people have been denied mental health treatment, new figures show. Picture: Shutterstock

Those being turned away include young people who are self-harming, have an eating disorder or have experienced abuse, according to analysis by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) of Freedom of Information (FOI) Act responses from CAMHS teams.

This proportion of children being turned away for support comes despite an extra £1.4bn being spent by the government over the last five years on improving mental health access for young people.

“Vulnerable young people in need of help are also facing a postcode lottery", says the annual report.

The analysis has been carried out by the EPI for the last four years and the proportion of those being denied treatment has not changed over that time.

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