Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)

What is camhs?

CAMHS stands for Child and adolescent mental health services. It's a free service run by your local NHS and is made up of medical and mental health professionals.

CAMHS can help if you're going through mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, hearing voices, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts. Everyone at CAMHS is there to support you and help you get better.

Your experience of CAMHS will be unique to you and you can look up what mental health support services are available in your local area on the NHS website.

How different CAMHS workers can help

Some of the different people you could meet through CAMHS are listed below. They can all help in different ways:

Therapists can help you understand yourself better and how things in the past might be affecting you now.
Family therapists work with you and your family to help you make changes so that everyone can get on better at home.
CAMHS nurses work with you and your family to help you improve your mental health.
Psychiatrists are specially trained doctors who can help you with your mental health. They can also prescribe medication.
Social workers can help you and your family get support, access help for costs and be there for you in and outside of CAMHS.

Advice right now:

Childline counsellors are here for you if you're struggling
get advice about different types of mental health issues
use our Art box to express how you feel in words or drawing
no one should ever treat you differently because of your mental health.

How CAMHs assessment works

After your GP or school has referred you to CAMHS you'll be invited to an assessment. This is just so that CAMHS can find out more about what you're going through and what support you might need.

At this first appointment, they'll ask about your mood and things at home and school so they can get to know you and understand how best to help.

Your parents or carers might come to this appointment too. And you can ask for an interpreter if you need one.

How long you have to wait for this appointment can vary between different CAMHS services and depend on waiting times in your local area. And it can be several weeks between when you're first referred and when you start seeing a CAMHS worker.

Remember you can always get support from your GP in the meantime, and it's really important to do this if you're worried about your safety or the safety of others around you. In an emergency go straight to your nearest A&E. You can also always speak to a Childline counsellor.

Feeling scared about going to CAMHS

It's natural to feel overwhelmed or worried about talking about difficult memories or thoughts. But it can help to remember:

CAMHS are here to help you and are on your side
what you tell them is confidential and the sessions are a safe space for you
you can always let your CAMHS worker know if you feel uncomfortable or like things are going too fast.

Getting the support you need

It's important to be honest with your CAMHS workers and to keep sharing with them so that they can understand what's going on for you and how best to help.

When you feel like you don't see your therapist enough

When you feel like this, it's important to let your therapist know you need more support and that you'd like to see them more. Ask them for their advice on what you can do between sessions if you're struggling.

It can also help to think about other trusted adults around you who you can share this with, like your parents or a teacher. A trusted adult can help you talk to CAMHS if you don't want to do it alone, and may be able to come to your next appointment.

Remember our Childline counsellors are always here for you if you need to talk.

When you feel like CAMHS isn't helping

Working with CAMHS involves talking about difficult thoughts and memories and it's okay to feel like you're struggling sometimes. It's good to be honest with your therapist about this so they can support you and help you find ways to cope. Our Childline counsellors are also always here for you.

If you feel like you can't be open with your therapist or like you're not working well together, it's okay to be honest and tell them this. You can also always ask the team manager to see a different therapist or CAMHS worker. They may encourage you to work things out with your current therapist first.

When you're struggling to be honest with your therapist

Sometimes it can feel like there's a lot of pressure to talk, and it can be hard to know what to say or where to start.

You could try starting by thinking about what you want your therapist to know about you and what thoughts or feelings are worrying you.

If you're finding it hard to talk openly in person, there are lots of different ways you can share your thoughts and feelings with your therapist. You could try writing what you feel in a letter or drawing it, and then giving this to your therapist. Sometimes therapists also use toys to help younger children relax, but these can be helpful for explaining difficult things, whatever your age.

You could also try starting your sentence in way that makes sharing easier. For example with phrases like:

'Today I feel...
I want you to know that I feel...
I'm finding it hard to talk today...'

Wall of Expression

Worried? Frustrated? Write on the wall and then watch your worries crumble away.

Telling your parents or carers

You might be worried about your parents or carers knowing that you're getting support from CAMHS. You may think it'll upset them or that they'll be worried, but being honest can help you feel better and make it easier for them to support you. It can also help to ask CAMHS about their confidentiality.

Sharing that you're struggling with your mental health can feel hard and it can be difficult to know where to start. Try to work out what it is that worries you and then explain this to CAMHS. They can help you come up with ways to talk to your parents or carers, and can also talk to them for you.

Remember you don't have to tell your parents or carers anything about your sessions that you don't want to, including what you talk about with your therapist. If they try and insist that you tell them, or on coming to your sessions, you can ask CAMHS to explain this to them.

Family problems

Get support if you're having problems with your family.

When your parents or carers aren't supportive

When your parents or carers aren't supportive it can feel like you're having to do everything on your own. Social workers at CAMHS can often help explain to your parents why your appointments are important and make sure that they prioritise them.

If you're worried that your parents or carers might cancel your appointments or won't be supportive, it's important to tell someone at CAMHS or a Childline counsellor so we can talk to CAMHS for you.

Coping after leaving camhs

It's natural to have mixed feelings about leaving CAMHS, and it's okay if you don't feel ready. Coming to the end of something where you've talked about things you've never spoken about with anyone can be hard. You might also be worried about going it alone or feel anxious about things changing.

Your therapist or CAMHS worker should help prepare you for leaving so that it's easier for you when the time comes. It can help to think about how you want to say goodbye and to acknowledge everything you've been through and achieved with CAMHS so you feel ready.

If you feel you've been discharged too early, it's important to let your CAMHS worker know. It can help to tell them your worries about ending and that you feel you still need support. Sometimes you may need to talk to someone else, like a CAMHS service manager.

You can also ask your CAMHS worker about other places to get support after leaving. Remember our Childline counsellors are always here for you if you need to talk.