Lack of support for children with mental health problems during Covid could have been catastrophic, says parent
A parent whose child had severe mental health needs during the pandemic told the Covid Inquiry during testimony how she and her daughter were severely let down by NHS mental health services and how the consequences could have been catastrophic.
Julie Pashley’s daughter, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder and severe anxiety, was first admitted into psychiatric care in January 2020 following self-harm and suicidal impulses. Although her daughter was doing well on the ward, once the pandemic began things took a turn for the worse.
In her witness statement Julie said: “On 18 March 2020, there was an incident on the ward where staff believed my daughter had [ingested a sharp object]. Me and my husband were asked to pick her up and take her to A&E. We were told that because she was leaving the ward she could not come back for two weeks in case she contracted Covid.
“Despite not feeling comfortable doing so, we were forced to take her home with us despite our obvious deep concerns that going home for two weeks was extremely risky for [her].
“I felt the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) did not listen to me and my husband, and no one there seemed to take account of the potential risks posed by sending [her] home for two weeks when she wasn't well enough to go home. No document was given to us explaining why she was being sent home, and as far as I was aware no formal risk assessment had been conducted.
“[One day later] our worst fears were realised when our daughter ran away from home and attempted suicide.”
Following that incident, Julie’s daughter was readmitted, but the pattern continued, and despite a more settled period during the first national lockdown, her mental health deteriorated further and she re-attempted suicide. Her daughter was then placed in a hospital two hours away from home.
After being discharged, Julie’s daughter turned 18 and the assisted living accommodation that had been arranged for her was withdrawn as she was now an adult. As a result, she became homeless and it took a further three months before further housing was secured.
Julie added: “The failures by the community teams and social services could have been catastrophic. [My daughter] kept asking for help but she didn’t get any.
“Overall, Covid restrictions prevented us from maintaining important links with our daughter and with community teams during the relevant period.
“During the two years she was an inpatient in the two CYPMH units, from what I saw, the changes that were implemented to mitigate against Covid created confusion and distance, which did more harm than good.”
Alice Livermore, Head of Legal for Mind, said:
“Cases like that of Julie’s daughter were sadly commonplace during the pandemic. It is clear that many young people were let down by a lack of mental health planning.
“It is vitally important the inquiry makes a recommendation to the UK government that mental health needs to be a key component in future pandemic planning. Careful consideration must be given to planning for restrictions, to lessen the impact on young people. Our young people cannot be left in a situation like this again."
