By Joanna Barrett
MORE than 4,000 children in Scotland contacted Childline about poor mental health, last year. They talked about feeling depressed, anxious, stressed and isolated. Some spoke of self-harming and suicidal thoughts. And NHS figures show that more than 200 children in Scotland had to wait over 12 months for mental health support last year.
At NSPCC Scotland, we have campaigned tirelessly for children’s mental health needs to be met before crisis point is reached. And today, at the start of Children’s Mental Health Week, we once again speak up for those who cannot.
When considering how to effectively address children’s mental health across Scotland, the needs of babies and very young children are often overlooked. Yet it is at this stage in life when the foundations for good mental health are built, and when poor mental health can arise.
The healthy physical and mental development of babies depends entirely on those around them. Responsive and consistent relationships help build solid foundations for a child’s future.
The impact of emotional abuse, neglect or physical harm is especially damaging to the young developing brain. Young children who experience such harm and do not have positive and stable relationships, are at greater risk of mental health problems throughout their lives. Investing to prepare and support new parents to care and interact with their babies, and to form strong, healthy attachments is fundamental in reducing the impact of adverse childhood experiences.
However, the mental health needs of young children are still largely overlooked in the current system. Typically, their mental health needs are not assessed and, although a good mental health service for children should start at birth, most local areas have few specialist services available and start provision at the age of five. The Scottish Government has made a commitment to infant mental health support and it is crucial it stands by this and invests in specialist services in a sustainable way, across the whole of Scotland.
It is apt that the conclusions of Scotland’s Independent Care Review are being published in Children’s Mental Health week. The two are closely linked. In 2017-18, more than a third of children who entered the care system in Scotland were under the age of five, many of whom would have experienced abuse or neglect.
There can often be an assumption that removing a child from their home will put an end to their difficulties and help them recover. There can also be little understanding of the trauma they have endured before being removed from their family. This means that these children very often do not get the help they need at an early stage and have to wait until serious behavioural or mental health problems emerge.
For young children who are looked after, trauma compounded by the unstable nature of placements can have a profound effect on their development and can have a lasting impact on their lives. To change this, and to set them on a healthy path for their life, these children require high-quality, therapeutic intervention. Recovery from the effects of early maltreatment can be rapid and remarkable if this care is achieved early enough.
We sincerely hope that in the conclusions of the Independent Care Review, young children receive the critical focus that is needed to overhaul our care system. We believe that there should be improved access to therapeutic services for all looked after children, including the very young.
Joanna Barrett is Policy and Public Affairs Manager for NSPCC Scotland
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