This figure increases for teenagers, with half of those attending CAMHS as teens going on to access adult mental health services by their early 30s – far more than previous research has suggested.
The findings shed light on the often severe mental health burden experienced by children who come to CAMHS and highlight the need for a better understanding of the long-term impact of childhood treatments, experts say.
Early support
CAMHS are a cornerstone of public mental health strategies, providing vital opportunities for early intervention. Studies on CAMHS treatments, however, have focused on short-term outcomes. Little is known about the long-term effects of treatments delivered, which can include medication and psychological therapies.
The study marks the longest follow-up to date of young people attending mental health services in the UK.
Lasting effects
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh studied every child born in Scotland between 1991 and 1998 until 2023 – almost half a million people. They found that eight per cent attended CAMHS before the age of 18.
This small group went on to account for 46 per cent of all adult psychiatric inpatient bed days and 41 per cent of all NHS adult mental health outpatient appointments by the age of 32.
Former CAMHS patients account for large proportions of all severe mental illness diagnoses in adult psychiatric hospitals, including personality disorders (49 per cent), eating disorders (50 per cent), schizophrenia (39 per cent) and opioid use disorders (39 per cent).
Routine tracking
Long-term treatment outcomes are routinely tracked across other conditions, such as cancer care, where the effects of interventions can be monitored for years after treatment, experts say.
The research team is calling for the Scottish Government to bring mental health in line with other areas of the NHS by establishing a Mental Health Observatory, routinely linking childhood and adulthood mental health records to evaluate the impact of services and policy changes.