Number of children accessing mental health support triples in five years

The big picture: The number of under-18s receiving mental health support from NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board has jumped from 2,230 in June 2019 to 6,570 in June 2023.

• This represents a tripling of young people accessing services in the area over five years.

Zooming out: Nationally, 460,000 children and young people were in contact with mental health services in June 2023, nearly double the number from five years ago.

Why it matters: The surge highlights growing mental health challenges facing young people in Ipswich and across the UK and the increased strain that places on health services and charities.

• Poverty, discrimination, housing insecurity, and academic pressure are all contributing factors, according to youth mental health charity YoungMinds.

• The charity's chief executive, Laura Bunt, said youth mental health is a "huge problem society can no longer turn away from".

What they're saying: "Support must be revolutionised," Bunt said, calling for the government to introduce early support hubs and involve young people in shaping health services.

The other side: The Department for Health and Social Care said it will provide "specialist mental health support in every school and walk-in Young Futures hubs in every community".

The bottom line: As demand for youth mental health services continues to rise, pressure is mounting on local and national authorities to expand support and address underlying causes.