Call to reduce child mental health wait targets by a third
- Published
About one in 10 children aged between five and 16 in Scotland are said to have a clinically diagnosable mental illness
A task force set up to improve mental health services for children and young people has recommended cutting waiting times to see specialists by a third.
The group wants targets reduced from 18 weeks to 12 weeks to ease pressure on Children's and Young People Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
Its report, external also calls for an end to young people being referred to CAMHS by default.
The Scottish government said it would invest £4m in 80 new CAMHS staff.
The additional staff will be made up of psychologists, nurses, allied health professionals and administration workers.
Child mental health has been a key priority for the government as part of its goal of making Scotland the best country in the world to grow up in.
But in September it admitted that children and young people are being "let down" by the country's mental health services.
The taskforce was created in response to an audit of rejected referrals, external to child and adolescent mental health services.
As well as the cut in waiting times, its recommendations include:
Treating more children and young people in primary and community-based care
Providing young people and families with more information on what to expect from mental health services
Greater detail to be given on how the system works
About one in 10 children aged between five and 16 in Scotland are said to have a clinically diagnosable mental illness, and there has been a 22% increase in the number being referred for specialist treatment in recent years.
The number of rejected referrals has also risen, by 24% since 2013/14.
The Scottish government welcomed the "ambitious" findings of the 15-month study.
'Right care at right time'
Mental health minister Clare Haughey said: "We have not shied away from honestly discussing the issues, and appointed a taskforce to consider how to reform services.
"Their delivery plan is an ambitious programme of work that will inform the whole public sector about how we can ensure young people get the right care at the right time in the right place."
Dr Dame Denise Coia, who chaired the task force, said: "It's clear that our approach to children and young people's mental health needs to be transformed.
"Our delivery plan sets out how, with the support of those working in young people's mental health services, the taskforce can be the catalyst for that change over the next two years.''