A study, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), analysed data on all admissions of five- to 18-year-olds to medical wards in England from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2022.
Researchers found that:
- Children and young people are most commonly admitted to general wards from Accident and Emergency because they are too unwell, or it is not safe, for them to go home.
- Over the course of 10 years, mental health admissions rose from 24,198 to 39,925 (a 65% increase). This was in comparison to just a 10.1% increase in all cause admissions – which rose from 311,067 to 342,511.
- Increases in admissions were greatest among girls aged 11-15, rising from 9,091 to 19,349 (112.8% increase), and for eating disorders, rising from 478 to 2,938 (514.6% increase).
RCPCH Officer for Mental Health, Dr Karen Street, said:
A 65% increase in mental health admissions further evidences the alarming deterioration in the mental health and wellbeing of our children and young people. Currently almost one in in five children aged 7-17 have a probable mental disorder and there has been a stark rise in the complexity and intensity of mental health disorders reported, with increased rates of self-harm and eating disorders in young children.
We know that the pandemic had a profound impact on children and young people. Yet, rates of worsening mental health among this cohort were also reported in 2012, indicating that COVID-19 is not the sole factor. More must be done to find out and understand the core drivers for this unparalleled increase to truly design a service which works for our young people.
As highlighted in this study, the explosion in demand for children’s mental health services means that often children are put on long waiting lists for community services, eventually reaching a crisis point, presenting to Accident and Emergency services and then being placed on general wards. We know that while general wards may be the only viable option available at the time, they are not always a safe or appropriate placement for young people suffering from complex mental health conditions.
If we are to break this cycle, we need to ensure that children are not hitting crisis levels in the first place by implementing clear pathways to mental health support in the community. At the same time, when said crisis incidents do occur, we need safe and appropriate spaces to treat children, so that they can begin to recover and be supported to transition back into the community with additional support.