The recommendation comes in its report Heads Up: Mental Health of Children and Young People, which highlights that Britain's youth is suffering from mental health problems, with three in four not receiving the treatment they need. The scale of the issue is startling and poorly understood, it claims.
Many assume that children's mental health problems are just growing pains or teenage angst. Yet one in 10 young people in the UK is affected by a mental health disorder, and three-quarters of adults with a disorder also had one in childhood.
"Helping children at an earlier stage stops troubled kids from becoming troubled adults. It can save individuals and families years of distress, and the state millions of pounds," says Martin Brookes, chief executive of NPC. The think-tank found that charities - including Youth Access's members - play a vital role by providing accessible and timely support for vulnerable children, carrying out research into young people's needs, and campaigning to change policy and public perception.
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