Blogs

Tablet computers are being provided for Children’s Mental Health Services. Care and Support Manager, Norman Lamb, announced this move towards improving early and effective intervention for children and young people suffering from mental health problems. It is thought that using this technology to track their progress will appeal to children and will also help therapists monitor and adjust the treatment given. This use of technology fits well with the the government's mandate to the NHS published in November 2012, which set out the ambitions for the health service over two years, with a clear objective to put mental health on a level with physical health and to extend and ensure more open access to the ‘Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Programme’, in particular for children and young people and for those out of work.
Other moves to help children in mental distress include the campaign launched by four youth charities, Young Minds, ChildLine, YouthNet and Selfharm.co.uk who have joined together to promote awareness of self-harm. The number of young people who self-harm as a result of depression, loneliness and family problems is estimated to be about 1 in 12 and is a major concern for children as young as 13. Support available at a young age, early in the development of mental health problems, could reduce the number of children taking their problems through to their adult lives.