The First Minister was put on the spot yesterday over Record revelations on the startling number of young Scots needing mental health support.
was confronted by opposition MSPs at Holyrood after our investigation found more than 36,000 young Scots sought NHS treatment last year – a rise of more than 30 per cent in five years.
Labour’s Scottish health spokesperson Monica Lennon demanded to know what the Scottish Government was doing to ensure rapid access to Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in light of our report.
She used the recent tragic case of one of her young constituents – who took his own life aged 14 after being told he would have to wait for a CAMHS appointment – to highlight failures in the current system as waiting times continue to rocket.
Lennon said the death of Kyle Stevens, a Hamilton Grammar pupil who took his own life at his home in March, may have been avoided if help had been available sooner.
She said: “Earlier this year, and soon after his GP explained it would take a very long time to get a CAMHS appointment, my constituent Kyle Stevens, who was just 14, committed suicide.
“His family are not looking to apportion blame but they do want to make sure that no other family experience the same painful and preventable loss.”
The First Minister said: “I think it is to be welcomed that the stigma around mental health is breaking down and people are coming forward to get the help they need.”
She added that the Government had demonstrated their commitment with £250million pledge to support positive mental health for children and young people.
said steps were being taken to strengthen community support adding: “We’re building the capacity of schools to provide early support ensuring every secondary school will have access to a counselling service by next September and training an additional 250 school nurses by 2022.
“We’re also working closely with NHS boards across Scotland to improve access to CAMHS.”
