DEMAND has rocketed for child mental health services since the pandemic – and a new online mental health early help system is being commissioned to try to ease the situation in Hampshire.

Overall, the mental health of children and young people has nosedived due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The long-term consequences for this group of the population are still unknown. However, the increase in the number of referrals reflects the mental health situation of minors.
According to Hampshire ‘Health and Wellbeing board annual update report 2021-2022’ published in June 2022, in March 2022 alone, there were 1,237 referrals to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), 46.2 per cent more than in March 2019. It was the highest single month on record.
‘Referrals for assessment and intervention numbers were 20 per cent higher than in previous years and, at times, 30 per cent higher than the pre-pandemic levels for the last 10 months (June 2022)’, the report says.
To cope with the high demand Hampshire CAMHS  has increased the capacity of some of its children’s services, such as eating disorders, intensive home treatment, early help and support, or community counselling. 
It also continued the expansion of the NHS 111 Mental Health Triage service, a 24/7 all-age mental health service that puts children, young people and parents in contact with mental health professionals able to support a range of mental health crises, supported at most times by a dually staffed rapid response vehicle which can help young people in their communities and homes around mental health crises without a need to visit a hospital. 
Most of these referrals and treatments are done in person; however, specialists from CAMHS are shifting from face-to-face to digital services.
Council papers say: “It was also anticipated that a global pandemic would be detrimental to children’s mental health and that therefore it would be important to maintain a focus upon supporting service transformation to address both the historical challenges and the new emerging impacts as a result of the pandemic.”
Hampshire CAMHS commissioning a new Digital mental health early help service (Kooth.com) for 11-25-year-olds across the county. 
It’s a free platform, already available, that provides anonymous online counselling and emotional wellbeing support. Counsellors are available from noon to 10pm on weekdays and 6pm to 10 pm at weekends, every day of the year. No referral is needed.