Emergency departments attend to more than 1,200 children with mental health issues

Wed, 20 Jul, 2022 - 20:41

Noel Baker, Social Affairs Correspondent

Some 1,220 children and young people presented to an Emergency Department last year with a mental health issue - a 40% increase in just three years.

The figure was flagged by Sinn Féin spokesperson for Mental Health, Mark Ward, and came just days after it emerged that the percentage of referrals to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Camhs) is continuing to fall.

A response by the HSE to a parliamentary question posed by Mr Ward showed that 4,003 nationally were waiting for a Camhs appointment as of last April, with 405 waiting for more than a year. Last month, Deputy Ward was told that 404 young people were awaiting a first appointment in Cork alone for the Jigsaw service.

A separate response from Children's Health Ireland (CHI) showed 1,220 presentations to EDs last year where mental health was the reason, with that increasing rate of presentation including a rise in the Temple St, Crumlin and Tallaght facilities.

“Emergency Departments are not the place for anyone suffering from mental ill health especially a child," Mr Ward said. “Early intervention is key and children are simply not getting this early intervention.

There are currently over 4,000 children waiting on an appointment for Camhs. 560 of these children waiting over six months.

"Over 2,000 young people are waiting for an appointment with Jigsaw with some areas having a 20-week waiting list. 115 children who presented to the HSE for eating disorders were referred to non-eating disorder specialist inpatient facilities.

“There are 10,500 children waiting on primary care psychology with 4,000 children waiting over a year for an appointment.

“With facts like this it is no wonder there is a huge increase in children presenting to Emergency Departments for mental health treatment."

More than 500 children waiting over a year to be seen by mental health service