Growing Up? A History of CAMHS (1987–2005)

Abstract

A brief history of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) from 1987 to 2005 is presented. Events of the last 20 years are organised around the two key themes of changes and development in policy and in clinical practice. This has been a period of great change in CAMHS and we attempt to highlight what we believe are the significant changes in what is, inevitably a personal view of recent history.

Interagency collaboration in children and young people's mental health: a systematic review of outcomes, facilitating factors and inhibiting factors

“…Publications in all formats and from all locations were eligible for inclusion but needed to be in the English language. We also only included reports that had been published from 1995 onwards, as this was the date of publication of the Health of the Nation Handbook on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services , ‘the first clear government policy document on CAMHS’ (Cottrell & Kraam , p. 112).…”

Integrating family therapy in adolescent depression: an ethical stance

“…In this section I review current evidence-based treatments for adolescent depression, which provides a context for an integrative family therapy approach. Overall the literature supports cognitivebehavioural therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT) and a cautious use of pharmacotherapy as first-line evidence-based interventions Chan, 2005;Cottrell and Kraam, 2005;Hamrin and Pachler, 2005;Allen et al, 2006;TADS, 2007;David-Ferdon and Kaslow, 2008). While evidence for the effectiveness of family therapy with adolescent depression is limited, it is encouraging.…”

Des asiles psychiatriques adultes aux soins pour jeunes dans la communauté : l’évolution des services de santé mentale pour les enfants et les adolescents 1948-2018

“…They suggest that it was probably a combination of a change in three factors in the way society viewed teenagers: firstly an alarmist media focus on "declining family values", teenage pregnancies and single-parenthood, secondly an increase in reports of sexual abuse of children and the consequent belief that children needed to be protected more effectively, thirdly a growing international recognition of the rights of children which culminated in the publication of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. 27 Although all authorities were required to set up specific child and adolescent mental health services, there was initially no national policy on how the service should be run, no definition of who was eligible for the service and no advice as to what treatments should be offered. Precise guidelines were finally established almost a decade later largely thanks to Virginia Bottomley, the Secretary of State for Health from 1992 to 1995, who had worked as a social worker in a child guidance clinic before becoming an M.P.…”

“…Few studies existed which measured outcomes of different treatments for children and adolescents and even the first NICE guidelines did not contain specific guidelines for young peoplein 2005 Cottrell and Kraam could only say that "CAMHS-specific guidelines on depression, attention deficit disorder and obsessive compulsive disorders are in the pipeline." 31 The increase in the number of referrals was not matched by an increase in the number of staff so that in some areas it was becoming difficult to provide long-term psychotherapy. Clinicians were increasingly expected to "be accountable to external bodies rather than the patient" 32 which resulted in pressure on Tier 3 services to provide drugs rather than therapy, despite the fact that there were no long-term studies on the side-effects of psychiatric medication on under-eighteens.…”