Study finds vulnerable children underserved by mental health services
Researchers at the University of Cambridge analysed NHS Digital data on children and young people in England referred to mental health services between April 2026 and March 2021, published in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. They found that children on child protection plans or in care were two to three times more likely than peers to contact mental health services, yet only around 9–18% of these children had contact with mental health services in a given year. The authors suggest that CAMHS can be hesitant to accept referrals for children involved with social services, with some cases showing referrals rejected because needs were deemed too complex or relating to social circumstances rather than mental health.
