One in 10 UK children has mental health disorder

By Staff
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LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) One in 10 children below the age of 15 in Britain has a mental health problem and the prevalence of mental disorders is on the increase, doctors said.

The British Medical Association warned in a report yesterday that with an estimated 1.1 million children needing access to specialist mental health help, services are struggling to cope.

''These problems have a huge impact on families and carers as well as on the individual,'' it said.

Children from poorer backgrounds, those in care, the children of asylum-seekers and those who have witnessed domestic violence are all at a higher risk of developing mental health problems, the BMA said.

Those problems could range from sleep disorders, temper tantrums and eating disorders to behaviour problems or depressive and obsessive disorders.

Vivienne Nathanson, head of BMA Ethics and Science, told a news conference it was vital to give children access to high quality mental health care tailored to meet their needs.

''There are a number of government policies currently being rolled out that are aimed at tackling these problems. It is essential that they deliver what they promise,'' she said.

''By putting better child and adolescent mental resources together, the good news is that we can actually reduce the burden on those young people as they grow up. They will be better able to fit within society, to be functioning, confident, happy, satisfied members of society.'' The BMA's report showed that emotional disorders, such as depression, phobias and eating problems like anorexia, were more prevalent among girls, while boys were more likely to suffer from conduct disorders such as severe temper tantrums.

The report also highlighted a major increase in alcohol abuse by young people and warned this may exacerbate mental health problems.

The BMA said a survey of 11 to 15 year-olds in 2004 found that around a quarter of them said they drank an average of 10.7 units per week, more than double the 1990 figure of 5.3 units.

''Alcohol can be attractive to those suffering from depression because it increases confidence and may produce a feeling of wellbeing,'' the BMA said. ''It is, however, also a depressive and can worsen the symptoms of depression.'' REUTERS SY VC0950

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