Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

"Utterly useless, do not respond to emails at all. 4 month wait for intial assessment have no corresponded with the school. If you are in mental health crisis do not rely on CAMHS. I would.give no stars of i could. Have been of no benefit to my daughter at all."

"They had no respect for me as a patient and triggered an anxiety attack because of how they, with my parents, ganged up on me by reading my diary (which my mother had found in my room and sent them pictures from) aloud after they asked if it was okay and I said no (considering i was in there for eating disorder treatment primarily and they were supposedly professionals in the department, you'd think they might understand and respect my need for control in that regard). Then they wouldn't let me out of the building (my parents also tried to block my way out as per their request) and then blamed me for disturbing other patients whilst I was screaming and having one of the worst panic attacks in my life. My therapist from another team I have because I have a different physical disability had to climb through a window to get me, let me out of the building, and sat with me outside. She was a psychologist (not psychiatrist like they were) and did not specialise in ED's, she usually helped ppl with their mental health in regards to their physical disabilities, and I rarely opened up to her, but she was 10x more respectful and competent in this situation than anyone else. My parents I don't necessarily blame because they are not professionals and had no idea on how to deal with the situation and were just basing their actions off of professional advice. They wrote a letter of apology, I haven't been to therapy since, it's been 4 years. They caused more problems than they attempted to fix. Also, another time I'd been referred to a psychiatrist for my depression and anxiety and the doctor ignored me and talked to my dad the whole time as I stared out the window, then told me she wouldn't offer me anti anxiety meds because she ASSUMED I wouldn't take them because I declined the anti depressants (for fear of gaining weight because of the ED she KNEW I had) which made me feel so invalidated so I haven't asked for the meds since. They are a terrible organisation and traymatise their patients. I've rarely heard any good about them, they cause more harm than they fix and the best thing for everyone would be for them to be shut down and have the NHS set up a new mental health specialising clinic with better and more educated and empathetic psychiatrists and specialists who respect the patient."

"Mixed experience with CAMHS but pleasantly surprised at recent referral, acceptance and so far....understanding professionals. Well done for stepping up in the light of the Covid pandemic which has brought a MH epidemic in its wake. Thank you to Paediatrician and the CAMHS consultation line, which is excellent."

"CAMHS needs to improve on their ability to compromise with their patient's family. Family are around their children 24/7 and know what they're struggling from, so they may have a good idea on what treatment may benefit their child based on their unique emotional needs. I feel CAMHS spends far too much time working through the textbooks, instead of seeing their patients as individuals. One size never fits all, when it comes to mental health. It may work this way for physical ailments, but CAMHS needs to look into that person's environment, how their environment affects them, and recognise that depression/anxiety can be symptoms of a main issue. Not always chemical imbalance. This is what would've helped me, when CAMHS failed to recognise my childhood trauma while under their services. I was under their service from 2012, and not once was my C-PTSD picked up on. CAMHS needs to stop dishing out medication, and allow patients the choice between medication or therapy. Whereas a patient like me didn't have a choice, and was instead given the impression that medication was the only thing that could cure me. I would've benefitted more from specialised trauma therapy, instead of being medicated. 4 years I was under their service, and even now I'm still scared of leaving the house, have no proper independence, deal with flashbacks and intense dissociation - which means CAMHS didn't do what they should have done, help. CAMHS needs to allow patients to explore diagnosis and rule them out. Just because a child hasn't finished growing, doesn't mean they can't have PTSD or schizophrenia. It would be good to explore diagnosis, instead of deny that your child is struggling. This way, once ruled out, CAMHS and yourself can move forwards. CAMHS needs to understand autism better, as some issues such as eating disorders can be related to sensory issues in autism. CAMHS needs to realise that children don't just "grow out of mental illness", and can turn into mentally ill adults which require more support. CAMHS needs to understand that CBT and breathing exercises can't magically cure mental illness, either. And to allow patients to express when some treatments don't provide any benefit. Complex mental health needs must be better understood. Parents aren't always at fault."

"One star is far to generous for this 'service'! Having had 4 referrals made to this place for my 9 year old over 5 years and each one refused without explanation, I struggle to understand what the actual point of this place is. How they can make decisions on a child without seeing them is beyond me. Absolute disgrace."