Health producer
Getty imagesThousands of children are in “hidden” waiting lists for autism and ADHD evaluations, experts said in the BBC.
This is the Scottish government that reaches its waiting time for the mental health services of young people for the first time last month.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPSych) said that the number of children in separate lists who expect to be evaluated for neurological development conditions is not published routinely and that the Scottish government must be more transparent.
The Scottish government said that long waiting for neurological development support were unacceptable and that financing increased to improve access to services.
The mental health services of children and adolescents (CAMHS) aim to help children with mental health problems that are causing a significant impact on their daily lives, such anxiety, depression, self -injuries and eating disorders.
Last month, The latest official figures He showed that 90% of young people had begun treatment within 18 weeks after reference to CAMHS.
This was the first time that the goal had reached the leg, since it was established more than a decade ago.
However, Dr. Laura Sutherland, vice president of the Faculty of Children and Adolescents of RCPSy, said that children who are at greater risk are prioritized, which can cause people with a condition of neurodescarrate development to wait longer.
“There is often no immediate risk, so some of the young people can wait longer, but I think that in general the impact is long term,” he said.
“It means that young people cannot enter education or be supported properly and, ultimately, some of these young people will develop mental health conditions in depth of neurodiverse conditions.”
BBC Scotland News presented requests for freedom of information last year to try to get an idea of the waiting lists for young people who seek help with neurological development conditions.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said that 7,560 children were waiting for a first date from the past spring, while for the NHS Lothian the figure was 6,192 and for NHS Lanarkshire it was 8,571.
NHS Highland said that 1,537 children were waiting for an evaluation of neurodevelopment there.
However, not all health boards collect these data in the same way and is not constantly published.
Dr. Sutherland, who is also a Camhs consultant psychiatrist in Tayside, told the BBC that the Scottish government should be more transparent about these “hidden waiting.”
She said there should be vital funds for neurological development routes to support vulnerable young people.
There are a number of routes for children to obtain a neurological development evaluation.
The most common are for autism and ADHD.
Some children can be referred to pediatrics, but many will start going through CAMH and then put in a neurological development waiting list.
It is the same specialized medical care personnel who work with CAMHS, including psychiatrists, who perform neurological development and DA DAINS.
Therefore, there is competition for the resources that are already in the short term.
There has been an increase in demand throughout the country in recent years.
In March, NHS Taysside stopped all new references for ADHD and Autism to Camhs Due to the increase in the demand for evaluations.
Suzi Martin, of the National Autistic Society of Scotland, said she was very concerned about the withdrawal of autism evaluation services in some areas.
“Not only the diagnosis is an experience of validation and affirmation of life for many, but that families tell us that it can be extremely challenging, if not impossible, to obtain support without one,” he said.
Mrs. Martin said that society had been asking for more transparency in the time of waiting for autism evaluation for years and said they should be published, as they are in England.
The Salveen Mindroom Center, a charity organization that works with young people in Scotland that are neurodergentes, has seen a 295% increase in the number of people who supported last year compared to 2020.
Alan Thornburow, the executive director, said: “We cannot be possible to respond to demand levels, it is simply impossible to serve.”
He said there has been a great increase in the prevalence in anxiety in the young people who support.
Rosie, 16, was referred to Camhs when she was eight years old.
She lived with her grandparents that helped her to obtain mental health support and had the first date after waiting for a year.
Five years passed before autism were diagnosed.
“Getting that confirmation, it was quite emotional and cried,” Rosie said.
“Then, in the following week, it gave me a better understanding of myself.”
She said having a diagnosis of NHS autism opened access to much support.
Duration Covid Lockdowns Rosie fought with his mental health, became anxious when he left the house and stopped going to school.
She continued sessions with Camhs, but discovered that there were long waiting between appointments.
Through more regular individual sessions with a support worker from Salves Mindroom Center, Rosie said he worked on his anxiety and trust and has returned to education this year.
“I am more bubbly of a person. It was like smiling or so happy, but it has helped me out of my shell,” he said.
Growing demand
There is a wide range of forms of neurodivergencia that include autism, dyslexia, dysraxia, Tourette or ADHD syndrome that can affect many aspects of the life in different ways.
ADHD is characterized by difficulties with impulsivity, maintaining attention and restlessness, while autism is associated with social communication, focused interests and repetitive behavior.
Dr. Sutherland said it is a positive step with which children are with Camhs Timame Timrame, but warns that it can still be long waiting to receive additional treatment or betting sessions because or a growing demand.
“We have less than 500 employees of all kinds (psychiatrists, psychologists, nursing staff, so it is very difficult to meet these objectives,” he said.
RCPSYCH said references to CAMHS had increased 3% in the last year, with a 500% increase in the referrals for eating disorders.
A Scottish government spokesman said: “We are clear that the long waiting for the support of neurodevelopment support are unacceptable and it is vital that children and families receive support and access that meet their needs as soon as possible.
“In 2024-25, the Scottish government allocated £ 123.5 million to the NHS meetings to support greater access to mental health services, including child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and neurological development services, in addition to the nuclei.
“Continuous health boards continue to advance towards the objective that 1% of the first-line expenditure is carried out in CAHMS at the end of this Parliament. The most recent data by 2023-24 show that the expense has passed to 0.82% of the total NHS expenditure.”
