Adopted Scots children are experiencing a mental health crisis caused by several systematic failings, one charity has warned.
Adoption UK in Scotland say most adopted children are being "failed" as they have been unable to access the support they need despite desperately trying.
This year's Adoption Barometer report has revealed that more than half of adopted people in Scotland aged 16-25 were involved with mental health services in 2020 but most say they haven't been able to access support.
Julian Thomson, 29, was adopted when he was younger and believes children in care need better support.
He said: “When I was 13 I was diagnosed with mild depression, but my GP was unwilling to prescribe antidepressants due to my age.
"There were a very narrow range of options available at that time, and it didn’t help that my medical records weren’t passed on after I was adopted. Because of that, a whole host of things were missed – it was like I didn’t have a life before adoption.
“Neither I nor my adoptive family were offered any real mental health support after that. I did have some sessions with an NHS counsellor, but that didn’t get to the root of the problem and I feel the sessions were not focused on trauma.
"It was only when I was 27 that I was diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from historical abuse."
He continued: “I am currently going through the process of being diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder.
"Had this been picked up when I was in care it may not have impacted upon my life the way it did.
"I believe there is a real need for psychological assessment for all adopted children.”
Many young people who have been adopted have previously suffered abuse, neglect or violence in their early years and this can have a lasting impact on relationships, learning and health.
It also leaves adoptive families to pick up the pieces when professional support is not provided, the charity says.
Fiona Aitken, Adoption UK Director of Scotland, said: “For the third year running, over two-thirds of Scottish Barometer respondents said they face an ongoing struggle for support.
"Scottish children and families are being failed by a system that does not provide the ongoing help and support children need to overcome early experiences, and the lifelong impact that adoption has then fades into the background.
"We owe it to these children and their families to provide ongoing support throughout their lives, to help them to achieve the best possible outcomes that they deserve.”
The survey results also highlight the consequences of not providing early and consistent support for adopted young people.
More than a third, 38%, of adopted 16-25-year-olds in Scotland were not in positive destinations (education, employment or training) at the end of 2020 and involvement in high-risk and criminal activity has also steadily increased.
In Scotland, parents who had accessed Adoption UK services said the support they received had been crucial to their wellbeing.
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