Kids waiting over a year for mental health help

More than one hundred vulnerable children in the West of Ireland are on a waiting list for more than 12 months to access to vital mental health services.

It has been confirmed that a total of 690 children aged up to 16 are waiting for access to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) in Galway and the West.

That shock figure includes some 116 children and teenagers who are waiting for over a year to get treatment for their mental health problems. A further 100 young people with mental health problems are waiting between nine and 12 months for treatment.

Those who are waiting for mental health treatment include children and teenagers with depression, eating disorders, anxiety, psychosis, ADHD and complex bereavement or relationship difficulties.

Children who self-harm or who have attempted suicide could also be among those on the list.

The Health Service Executive says that “those deemed to be urgent are seen as a priority while those deemed to be routine are placed on a waiting list to be seen”.

For more on this story, see this week’s Connacht Tribune