Demand for Isle of Man child mental health services soars by 83%

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service currently has a case load of 1,370 children

The number of children in need of mental health treatment on the Isle of Man has risen by 83% since 2020.

There are currently more than 1,300 four to 17-year-olds receiving or waiting for treatment from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.

Manx Care said the "stark increase" was due to the impact of Covid on young people's lives coupled with a lack of a strategy promoting early intervention.

The creation of a multi-agency approach to the issue is currently under way.

Unlike the UK, there are no partnerships that allow for early intervention when mental health issues begin to arise, meaning all referrals join the Manx Care waiting list.

In January, it was revealed the average wait for child services was 217 days.

'Right time'

The body recently took part in a conference outlining the Thrive Framework for System Change, which brings together government agencies, private firms and charities to support the mental wellbeing of children.

Manx Care's head of integrated mental health services Ross Bailey said the health care provider was currently building a "comprehensive picture of the current system of services" across the island.

A mental health and wellbeing strategy was being drawn up based on "the principles of integration, early intervention and recovery", he said.

The plan would help to reduce waiting lists and make sure "people get the right help at the right time", he added.

Other efforts to tackle the situation include a partnership with digital mental health and wellbeing company Kooth PLC to provide online mental health care, which is being promoted in schools.

Manx Care has also formed a relationship with the charity Minds Matter, which offers specialist psychological support, in a partnership that has seen 106 children begin psychological therapies over the past six months.