{"id":7896,"date":"2021-06-24T13:36:58","date_gmt":"2021-06-24T13:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/childmentalhealthcharter.com\/?p=7896"},"modified":"2021-06-24T13:56:29","modified_gmt":"2021-06-24T13:56:29","slug":"24-06-21-number-of-children-on-antidepressants-rockets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/childmentalhealthcharter.com\/24-06-21-number-of-children-on-antidepressants-rockets","title":{"rendered":"24\/06\/21 \u2013 Number of Children on Antidepressants Rockets"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]By Helen Clark: Director, Child Mental Health Charter Campaign\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

The Daily Mail\u2019 has published figures revealing a soaring number of children prescribed antidepressants during the COVID-19 lockdowns (Article<\/a><\/em>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In April 2015, 19,739 <\/b>under 17 year-olds were prescribed antidepressants but by March 2020 as the UK entered its first pandemic-occasioned lockdown, this number had climbed to 27,757<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

9,855 <\/b>boys and 17,902 <\/b>girls were prescribed this treatment by their GPs during the same month.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While the overall recipient figure dipped to 23,397 <\/b>in August 2020 coinciding with an easing of lockdown, data obtained by the Pharmaceutical Journal from the NHS Business Services Authority show a sharp incline in figures from December 2020 – January 2021 as the country endured second and third lockdowns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Antidepressants can be an appropriate treatment in some cases of mental ill-health but it is widely understood that they are also a \u2018quick fix\u2019 choice when alternative therapies are unavailable; including play therapy for younger children and counselling\/talking therapies for older children and young people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Martin Marshall who chairs the Royal College of GPs said:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Access to appropriate, alternative therapies in the community <\/i>that many younger patients with mental health conditions find beneficial, is patchy across the country. <\/i><\/b>This needs to be addressed urgently.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Helen Clark, Director of the Child Mental Health Charter Campaign urged readers to contact their constituency MP:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Clearly at this unprecedented time of national emergency, the Government has failed to prioritise children.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

We need to know what the access has been <\/i>in each constituency <\/i><\/b>during the pandemic to play therapies, talking therapies and counselling. People should ask their MPs to investigate and report findings to Government Minsters.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Until our MPs <\/i>take responsibility for finding out what is happening to services in their own patches, the outlook is bleak.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

MPs have a duty to acquire this information and use it to encourage the Government to prioritise children\u2019s mental health \u2013 and resource it as necessary.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/strong><\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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