The number of appointments for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) that have been cancelled by the NHS has risen by 24.8 per cent over the last year.
This is according to mental health charity Mind, which revealed NHS England cancelled 175,094 CAMHS appointments between August 2018 and July 2019, compared with the 140,327 that were abandoned during the same period the year before.
While the health service looks as though it is improving child mental health care by issuing 428,623 extra appointments in comparison with the previous 12 months, it ended up cancelling 8.1 per cent of these extra sessions, according to data from NHS Digital (Mental Health Services Data Set).
Vicki Nash, head of policy and campaigns at Mind, said: “We know services are struggling to cope with the increasing numbers of people needing help but no young person should face being stood up by the NHS.”
She stated lots of youngsters are unable to access the help they need, resulting in many reaching crisis point.
“If we can enable our young people to seek and receive support as early as possible, we could drastically improve the situation,” Ms Nash stated.
Mind recently revealed the scale of the problem, with figures showing three in five young people have either experienced a mental health issue themselves or have been close to someone who has. Despite this, just 30 per cent were able to access appropriate healthcare services last year to help them.
One way young people can manage their emotions before they feel too overwhelming is with the help of a mindful therapist in Wimbledon.
The practice of mindfulness is gaining traction as an effective tool to help people relax and reduce their anxiety. Indeed, actress Goldie Hawn has even shown her support for mindfulness through her organisation, the Hawn Foundation and its program called MindUp. This delivers meditation sessions to schools across the USA to help young people know how to relieve stress, sleep better, and feel empowered.
Hawn, who has lent her voice to Moshi World’s latest Sleep Story, told Grit Daily: “All children in the world are our most precious resource for a happier, healthier tomorrow. They deserve all we can given them to thrive and succeed in this sometimes challenging world.”
The Snatched star is taking part in the Moshi Twilight Tales, which is aimed at helping children to relax and fall asleep.
Chief executive officer of Mind Candy Ian Chambers said: “Goldie’s commitment to mindfulness and helping combat the growing issues of bedtime anxiety and sleeplessness is second to none. ‘Goldie the Mindful Moshling’ provides little listeners with a comforting way to drift off to sleep while reminding them of the positive power of mindfulness in their waking lives.”
Another product that could help kids with the pressures of daily life is Mindful Moe – a talking pug dog teddy that has been designed by founder of Mindful Kids Julianne Reel.
Speaking with the Irish Post, Ms Reel revealed the toy has been created to make mindfulness fun and accessible, equipping children with coping skills and making them more present in the moment. It does this by offering three audio meditations – one to aid sleep, one to calm, and one to teach kindness and love.