Young People’s Views of the Transition to Adult Mental Health Services
In November 2021 Northamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group (NCCG) had already found that children and young people (CYP) who require transition to adult services had experienced persistent difficulties in receiving care that is continuous, efficient, clear, and supportive. Instead, many young people and staff have highlighted that transitionary care becomes disjointed, confusing, or disappears altogether during this period. Addressing these gaps and challenges is a priority for the Northamptonshire system.
Young Healthwatch Northamptonshire (YHWN) sought to hear from a group of children and young people to discover their thoughts, views, and experiences of the transition between Children and Young Peoples (CYP) mental health services (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services – CAMHS), to adult mental health services – how it felt, how it worked or didn’t work, and how it could be improved. They also sought the thoughts, views, and experiences of those leaving care about the preparation, the process, the aftercare, and how their experiences continue to affect them today.
“I didn’t feel like I had a choice in my care when I moved from child services to adult services.” - Young person
All the young people they spoke to struggled with the transition from CAMHS to adult mental health services, with some experiencing a decline in their mental health and physical health, exacerbated by the stress of the process.
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