CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, which is a free mental health service offered by the NHS for all young people which assess and treat.
Treatment may include talking therapies, which could involve cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) or dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) along with medications to improve your overall mental health and mood.
There are many treatment options which will be discussed with a mental health professional. This will be unique to you – any treatment or medication prescribed will depend on your initial symptoms and assessment completed at the start of your CAMHS journey.
There are two ways you can access CAMHS:
- By a referral to CAMHS services via your GP, teacher, school nurse or any other professional
- By self-referral* – which means parents or you can call your local CAMHS service or completing an online form and get the help and advice you need straight away.
*Some CAMHS services only accept self-referrals if you are 16-17 years old. If you are below this age, please reach out to a teacher, parent or GP for additional support when making your referral.