CAMHS in Crisis: Wait Times Are Harming Autistic Children
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) have significantly long wait times, with over 400,000 children on waiting lists as of May 2023. Autistic children face worsened mental health, increased crisis risk, disrupted development, and reduced service engagement. To improve wait times, ther
There are a multitude of ways that Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are harming our Autistic children and young people. Perhaps one of the most evident ways this is happening is the appallingly long wait times for access to services. Even some 24 years ago, My referral at the age of 10 years old did not come to fruition until I was 15 and missing huge amounts of school. We are only taken seriously when not acting will hurt services. So, we have long wait times. How long are they and what harm do they do?
How long are CAMHS waiting times?
According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, there were over 400,000 children on CAMHS waiting lists as of May 2023, with almost 18,000 of those being on a waiting list for over a year. The same source cites a 9 month average wait for those who are suspected to be Autistic. One might question how children in crisis are expected to wait 9 months for diagnosis and the (non-existent) support they are entitled to. I would highlight at this point how mental health of people of any age has not been a funding priority for many years, which has likely contributed to the attrition of viable services.
What is the impact of long CAMHS wait lists?
