Supporting holistic care of young people in the community

Primary care services and schools are seeing more children presenting with increasing mental health demands, in need of behavioural support, or mental health needs, which can manifest in different ways. In addition to this, local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) continue to have ever-increasing wait times, with young people reporting to ‘be at the mercy of the postcode lottery’ with waits to be seen of more than a year at times (STEM 4, 2019). There is persistent underfunding in resources for young people and although effective treatment for young people with mental health needs is available, less than half of them receive adequate care delivery as a result of poor engagement, or lack of early intervention (Dixon et al, 2016). Childhood adverse events lead to increased adult comorbid conditions with high-risk health-related behaviours.

Public Health England (2022) pointed out that people's health is determined primarily by a range of social, economic, and environmental factors. Social prescribing seeks to address people's needs in a holistic way, through one-to-one support or family support. It also aims to encourage individuals to take greater control of their own health and shape self-care and resilience to cope with the ever-evolving socioeconomic changes we face.