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NHS figures show a sharp rise in young people accessing mental health services in Suffolk, mirroring a national trend experts say is driven by pandemic impacts and societal pressures.
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.
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