Tens of thousands of children in England rejected for mental health treatment

Even with evidence of self-harm many children are turned away, report finds

More children than ever are seeking specialist mental health treatment in England but tens of thousands are being turned away despite evidence of self-harm or abuse, according to a report.

An investigation by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) found that referrals to children’s mental health services in England had increased by 26% over the last five years – but nearly one in four of those were rejected, meaning that at least 55,000 children were not accepted for treatment in 2017-18 alone.

The difficulty in accessing services means teachers are frequently caring for young people in severe distress

Related: UK survey finds sharp decline in happiness of young women and girls

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2C0xdpI