Suffolk mental health service says services are under huge amounts of pressure
It comes after a report found a growing number of children in England are being referred for emergency mental health treatment
A not-for-profit mental health service for young people in Suffolk says their services are under huge amounts of pressure.
This follows a report which shows the number of children in England being referred for emergency mental health treatment's risen by more than half in four years.
Clinical Director of Teenage Mental Health, Fiona Hannah, told us there are a variety of different reasons we could be seeing an increase in the use of services, including:
- People being more aware of their mental health: "When people start to struggle, we we've got a better awareness and to seek help."
- Covid-19: "It completely changed the fabric of our society in many ways.... damaged their (young people's) social development."
- The current state of the world: "They are aware of what's going on and it must be scary for them."
Fiona explained how there are a limited number of mental health resources available at the moment, meaning there are longer wait times for those needing help:
"The NHS say it's seriously under-resourced and underfunded, and they need more resources and more help to deliver a world-class service, and we see it continually."
She went on to say because of this problems are "getting worse and worse and getting exacerbated, then they're just presenting as an emergency."
She believes if these issues were addressed sooner then there wouldn't be as many people reaching their "crisis point."
Signs of mental health issues to look out for
We asked Fiona what are some of the signs people should look out for that may suggest someone is struggling with their mental health.
One of the main things she commented on was behaviour: "if someone's not reacting the way they normally do, if there seems to be a significant change, you need to start paying attention to that."
Another example of this is "if their reactions and emotional responses aren't in tune with the situation."
She encourages everyone to provide support to those who need it: "If somebody was standing there throwing up in front of you, you would help them... it should be the same with mental health."
Where can I find support?
If you are struggling with your mental health or know someone who is, you can find support here:
If you need an emergency service, such as an ambulance, please dial 999.
If you need urgent medical advice, you can call the NHS on 111.
You can talk to Samaritans anytime on 116 123.
More information on available services can be found here.