Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and the Strategic Context: The Bigger Picture

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of the current strategies to deliver Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Traditionally, services for children and adolescents have tended to be almost an afterthought to adult provision and have long been neglected and under-resourced. There is evidence, however, that this situation is changing, with CAMHS receiving an increasing profile in all regions. Each region has developed their own strategy for the organisation, planning and delivery of a comprehensive mental health service for children and adolescents. This paper examines the common themes of each strategy and their individual differences, and highlights some of the challenges they all face in providing a high-quality, comprehensive CAMHS in the United Kingdom.