Enhancing referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: the EN-CAMHS mixed-methods study

Area of Science:

• Child and adolescent mental health services delivery
• Healthcare access and equity for youth mental health

Background:

• National Health Service Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are crucial for treating young people's mental health issues.
• Between 2020-2021, nearly 25% of 497,502 CAMHS referrals were unsuccessful, leading to distress and inefficiency.
• Unsuccessful referrals often occur after long waits, without alternative service redirection, impacting timely care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand the problems within the CAMHS referral process.
• To identify solutions for improving referral success rates.
• To gather perspectives from young people, families, and professionals.

Main Methods:

• Collected pseudonymised patient and referral data from nine CAMHS and four NHS Trusts.
• Analyzed data completeness and variations in referral numbers and success rates.
• Conducted focus groups with over 100 participants including young people, parents, referrers, and CAMHS professionals.

Main Results:

• Significant variation exists in referral numbers and success rates across and within Trusts.
• Routine data collection includes age and gender, but ethnicity and referral reasons are less consistently recorded.
• Identified confusion about CAMHS scope and lack of support during referrals as key problems.

Conclusions:

• Streamlining referral pathways via digital technologies and standardized forms is recommended.
• Enhancing communication throughout the referral journey for families and referrers is crucial.
• Standardization and improvement of the CAMHS referral process are essential for better outcomes.