Thousands of teenagers 'denied' mental health care

By Greg Dawson
Newsbeat reporter

Thousands of teenagers in England are being denied access to free mental health care because of funding cuts, it is being claimed.

Newsbeat's been given exclusive access to figures from the charity Young Minds which show a number of local authorities have reduced spending for mental health services for young people.

The charity conducted a review of Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) across the whole of the UK.

Of the 51 local authorities to respond, 34 revealed they had cut their budgets since 2010.

Although NHS funding has remained steady, it's claimed the cuts in funding from local authorities means services such as drop-in counselling and advice lines are losing out.

Lucie Russell says it is 'vital' young people can get mental health advice

Central government cuts have put pressure on local authority budgets in England since 2010, with many being forced to make major savings.

Young Minds says it appreciates cuts need to be made but claims not treating people when they show early signs of mental health problems ends up costing the economy more in the long-term as many end up needing expensive NHS care.

"When a young person approaches someone and says 'I don't feel OK' it's vital for them, and for our economy, that those problems are seen to," said Lucie Russell, campaigns director for Young Minds.

One service that's been affected is Off The Record Bristol, a charity offering free counselling service for young people aged up to 25.

The group is partly funded by Bristol City Council and was recently told it had to stop treating people from nearby areas like South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

Carina Andrews, 19, lives in South Gloucestershire and has benefited from Off The Record counselling in the past when she was treated for anxiety.

"Things were getting on top of me," she said. "These low moods appeared, I had anxiety for a long time. The counselling was fantastic, it completely built my confidence."

However, she's worried that if she needed similar support in the future she would be turned away because of where she lives.

Carina Andrews says she has benefitted from 'fantastic' counselling

"I literally live a street into South Gloucestershire and I couldn't receive counselling any more because of that. That worries me a little bit.

"If I did start to struggle, where would I go?"

The charity's director Simon Newitt estimates they're now turning away at least 200 people a year.

He said: "It's a rubbish conversation to have, to say 'We can't help you and actually I don't know of anything in your area that you can access."'

The Department of Health says it has spent more than £50m over the past four years on talking therapies and have also put pressure on local NHS departments to make sure they deliver services.

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