One in ten children in Ireland suffer from some form of mental health disorder, according to a report on youth mental health services.
The Health Service Executive’s first annual report on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), published today, said the incidence of mental health problems was increasing among children and young people.
It said such disorders in childhood remained “the most powerful predictor” of mental health issues arising in adulthood.
The CAMHS report is intended to provide a picture of the current stage of development of the State’s services for youths affected by mental health issues, and act as blueprint for the future development of services.
The report detailed the most common issues affecting young people, and how these issues change over time.
It found 15-year-old adolescents were the largest group attending community CAMHS services, followed by children in the 10-14 year-old age group.
Emotional problems and hyperkinetic disorders (including Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]) accounted for more than half of all mental health issues experienced by children and adolescents.
Males were in the majority for all types of problems reported except deliberate self harm, where they made up 31.7 per cent of cases, and eating disorders, where they made up 19.5 per cent of cases.
While males accounted for more than 70 per cent of cases in the younger children’s age groups, this had dropped back to a 45 per cent male / 55 per cent female ratio by mid to late teens.
The report found hyperkinetic and autistic spectrum issues were the main disorders affecting younger children, while emotional problems and deliberate self harm made up the main presentations for those in their middle to late teens.
Since 2006, 54 CAMHS team have been put in place, 49 of which are community based.
The HSE said there had been a “downward trend” in waiting lists, with almost 50 per cent of new cases referred to the service within four weeks of referral.