Let's have a joined-up action plan for young people's mental health

A young woman highlighted that point last month when speaking at the launch of the MindEd support programme (MindEd.org.uk). She had struggled with depression as a teenager when she changed schools but nobody noticed how withdrawn she had become or how difficult she was finding it to concentrate on her studies. Luckily, she found support before things deteriorated. But many don't.

A study conducted to coincide with the MindEd launch found that 38 per cent of adults didn't know what signs and symptoms to look out for, and where they did, 51 per cent said they were worried about raising the issue for fear of being mistaken. This causes many children and young people who suffer with mental illness to slip through the net and not get the help they desperately need. To put this right, we need to tackle both sides of the issue: we must get better at recognising the risks and danger signs; and provide the mental health support and services to prevent or rapidly treat the problem.

Half of lifetime mental illness (excluding dementia) starts by the age of 14. So it is clear that all adults working with children can contribute to improving lives, as long as staff and volunteers know how to respond.

The MindEd programme - delivered by a consortium of organisations that includes NCB - provides free online training and information about child mental health for anyone working with children and young people. It is based on the very best clinical advice. The training pathways are tailored to the needs of different groups of professionals and practitioners including police officers, youth workers, child counsellors, health professionals, social workers and, probably most importantly, teachers.

Outside the home, teachers are among those best placed to spot a child struggling with mental health problems because of their regular and sustained contact. But initial teacher education and training provides a very limited insight into children and young people's wellbeing and possible mental health issues. However good teacher training is, there is only so much that can be covered in sufficient depth in such a short amount of time. It is only as you start to teach that you may fully understand why this is such an important issue. Newly qualified teachers need opportunities to develop understanding and MindEd provides this source of learning; it is free and easy to access whenever it is convenient.

A poll undertaken by MindEd appeared to emphasis the need for mental health expertise inside schools. It found that 69 per cent of people thought schools should provide a dedicated member of staff on-site for pupils to approach about mental health and wellbeing issues. Also, 63 per cent thought every school should have regular interaction with a specialist working in the local mental health service. But 37 per cent of adults would turn to a teacher if they suspected a child had a mental health issue, suggesting that teachers should play a crucial role.

Overall, child and adolescent mental health services are insufficiently funded. In many places, they have been subjected to significant budget cuts. It is good to see that they are starting to be talked about more often by policy makers because we need wellbeing and mental health to be given a much higher priority.

It is alarming enough to see reports that NHS England and Monitor have proposed to reduce funding for mental health services by 20 per cent. But only six per cent of total spending goes to provision for children and young people. A report last month by mental health charity Rethink found 50 per cent of early intervention in psychosis services in England have faced cuts in the past year, some losing as much as 20 per cent of their budget. Rethink said it would lead to more young people requiring hospital admission or detention under the Mental Health Act.

The evidence of what works is not in question. There are recommended therapies for depression, conduct disorder, ADHD and other conditions that have all been approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. There is a strong case for investing early to save later – for example, in programmes to address behaviour disorders that prevent costs later on for the police and youth offending teams.

The government has recently unveiled its mental health strategy and has invested millions in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, which it says will "transform services", covering six out of 10 children and young people under 19 by 2015. But what is needed now is an action plan, backed by further funding, to join up solutions across all agencies, including schools. Initiatives such as MindEd, which is funded by the Department for Health, will help us all feel more confident that we can detect children with mental health issues and provide support. But we need to ensure that the government adequately invests in services that provide treatment. Without this, children, young people and their families will continue to suffer.

Hilary Emery is chief executive of National Children's Bureau