Inequity in treatment access for child mental health services in England: analysis of administrative national data for 2021-2022.

Abstract

Aims and method: An equitable child mental health service provides access to treatment proportionally to the need of individual demographic groups. Despite qualitative and survey-based evidence of barriers disadvantaging some demographic groups, it is not well understood how these barriers translate into quantifiable inequities. We calculated the treatment access rate for English children aged 6-16 years in 2021-2022, using the patient-level Mental Health Services Data Set and Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey.

Results: The number of primary school children in treatment needs to increase nationally by 173%, the number of boys by 65% and the number of children from a White ethnic background by 31%, to achieve equity in treatment access. There was no evidence of inequities by area deprivation.

Clinical implications: Child mental health services in England should not only increase overall access rates, but also pay more attention to equity in access across different demographic groups.