The NIHR Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration (MH-TRC) Mission’s Children and Young Peoples’ (CYP) Workstream, led by Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Helen Minnis at the University of Glasgow, hosted an engaging roundtable discussion that brought together leading policymakers, researchers, and experts from across the UK, earlier this year.
The meeting focused on addressing the pressing challenges facing children and young people’s mental health in the UK, current policy initiatives and ways to influence them.
The MH-TRC Mission CYP Workstream is a collaborative network of multidisciplinary experts, including psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists, health economists, neuroscientists, and data scientists, united by a shared vision to improve child and adolescent mental health.
The roundtable provided an opportunity to discuss the complexities of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) workforce, with many experts noting the pressure on existing staff and the need for innovative solutions to recruitment and training.
Ruth Christie, Head of Children, Young People and Families Mental Health at the Scottish Government, highlighted key political commitments, including improving waiting times within CAMHS.
Dave Williams, Clinical Lead for the Strategic Programme for Mental Health at NHS Wales Executive shared insights into Wales’s new mental health strategy, which had a focus on developing community-based mental health services and addressing waiting times.
David Lockwood from NHS England’s National Perinatal and CYP Mental Health Team and Mihiri Seneviratne, Mental Health Policy Analyst at the Department of Health and Social Care shared their policy directions and priorities, emphasising the shift from sickness to prevention and hospital to community care.
The group addressed emerging challenges, such as the need for tailored support for neurodivergent individuals, specifically those with autism who were recognised as a priority group in DHSC’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy.
Research was a major focus of the discussions, with many leaders calling for increased collaboration between policymakers and researchers to ensure that the evidence base informs future policies and service development.
Professor Peter Fonagy, National Advisor for Child and Adolescent Mental Health in NHS England emphasised the economic and societal benefits of early intervention and prevention, particularly in the context of mental health.
The meeting concluded with a call for continued collaboration and an annual check-in to ensure that research and policy efforts remain aligned.
Professor Peter Fonagy commented: “Speaking with one voice would be hugely powerful. What you’ve set up here is hugely helpful. You have the major child mental health researchers around this table. If we can get better aligned with key people in DHSC and NHS England, we’d be promoting the same ideas”.
As the workstream continues to grow, the discussions at this roundtable demonstrate a shared commitment to addressing the pressing challenges facing children and young people’s mental health in the UK.
With continued collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and service providers, there is hope that significant progress will be made in improving the mental health and wellbeing of future generations.
The group looks forward to future meetings, where they can continue to share ideas, discuss emerging issues, and work together to ensure that mental health services meet the needs of all young people across the UK
For more information on the MH-TRC Mission’s CYP initiatives please email: sarah.ashton-2@manchester.ac.uk.
