Teenagers at risk due to lack of psychiatric services

A LACK of specialist services for young people with psychiatric problems leaves them at risk of homelessness, criminal involvement and suicide, the inspector of mental health services has warned.

Dr Teresa Carey said young people with severe mental illness were frequently left without a proper, appropriate and focused specialist service.

“It the lack of care to that particular group that brings community psychiatry to the attention of the media because such people, if they don’t receive the appropriate care, are shown to be much more at risk of becoming homeless, living on the streets, falling foul of the law through petty offences and dying by suicide,” she said.