There has been a dramatic rise in the number of children being referred for emergency mental health treatment.
The increase comes after headteachers warned that schools were being left to deal with a “tsunami of pressures” affecting pupil wellbeing, following the pandemic.
Data analysed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists shows a 53 per cent rise over three years in referrals to child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs) crisis teams in England.
The college said many of these under-18s have suffered worsening mental health while on NHS waiting lists for treatment.
There were 32,521 referrals to Camhs crisis teams in 2022-23, up from 21,242 in 2019-20.
The Department for Education last year published a report on children’s wellbeing in England, which revealed that there had been “inconsistent recovery of children’s and young people’s mental and physical health towards pre-pandemic levels”.
Leaders said the “extremely worrying” findings showed that schools needed more support to protect pupils’ mental health.
Tes has previously revealed how a scheme to support mental health in schools has struggled to retain staff due to the “emotional intensity” of the work, high workload and frustration with the approach and scope of the work.
Mental health: Pupils ‘reaching crisis point’
Today Dr Elaine Lockhart, chairwoman of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ child and adolescent faculty, said: “It’s unacceptable that so many children and young people are reaching crisis point before they are able to access care. We cannot allow this to become the new norm.
“Severe mental illness is not just an adult problem. The need for specialist mental health services for children and young people is growing all the time.
“The evidence shows us that children who receive support quickly are less likely to develop long-term conditions that negatively affect their education, social development and health in later life.”
The college said around half of mental health conditions arise before the age of 14, and three-quarters before the age of 24.
Data shows that under-18s who are waiting for follow-up after a GP referral for mental health problems are waiting, on average, for five months and, in the worst case, almost two years.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists said last year’s government announcement of an extra £5 million to improve access to existing early support hubs was welcome.
But it estimates that an extra £125 million to £205 million is needed to establish hubs in every local authority.
An NHS England spokeswoman said: “The latest figures show the NHS is now treating more young people than ever before, and the health service is expanding mental health services as quickly as possible within the current five-year funding arrangements to help meet increasing demand, with 44 per cent more children and young people accessing support since 2019-20.
“Early support for children and young people with mental health issues is a priority for the NHS, and plans are in place to ensure that more than one in two pupils and learners in schools and colleges are covered by an NHS mental health support team by spring 2025 - significantly ahead of the original target.”
