CYP Now - Prioritise mental health support for children in care, demands charity

Urgent action is being called for to prioritise the mental health needs of looked-after children and care leavers before they reach crisis point, a new report says.

Children in care are four times more likely to develop a mental health difficulty, a new report says. Image: Looked After Minds

Those with experience of care are four times more likely to have a mental health difficulty, often linked to isolation and loneliness, says a National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) campaign report launched this week.

The report, Looked After Minds, also details how care leavers are between four and five times more likely than their peers to attempt suicide when they become adults.

NYAS has called on the government to guarantee access to an advocate for all children receiving mental health support. This service should guide them through the support available and also be on hand when young people move between Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to adult support.

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