Survey highlights gap in provision for babies and infant mental health

Findings from an online workforce survey, carried out by the Parent-Infant Foundation for Infant Mental Health Awareness Week, highlight concerning gaps in provision in mental health services for babies and toddlers. 

Only half of NHS children and young people’s mental health services take referrals for children two and under, according to the findings, which the foundation said confirmed that they often do not even cater for, or accept referrals for babies and toddlers - what it calls 'a baby blindspot'.

The charity say that children and young people’s mental health should refer to the mental health of all children from 0-18 (or 0-25), but too often it is focussed on older children. 

The charity is releasing the results to mark the start of Infant Mental Health Awareness Week (7 - 13 June) and is calling on organisations and Government to include infants in Children and Young People’s Mental Health policies and services. It warns that leaving young children unsupported could have serious consequences later in their lives and create more demand for mental health services in future.

It is calling on everyone to adopt the language of ‘infant, children and young people’s mental health’. It is hoped that this change will help make an important shift in understanding, attitudes, policy and provision to consider and respond to the needs of the youngest children.

Sally Hogg, head of policy and campaigning at the Parent-Infant Foundation said, ‘It is clear from these new statistics, and our previous research, that there is a “baby blindspot” and that infant mental health is frequently forgotten in children and young people’s mental health provision. The pandemic and lockdown have been traumatic for some families already experiencing many challenges so the need for specialised support is greater than ever.’

Key findings show that:

• Only 9 per cent of respondents felt there was sufficient provision available for babies and toddlers whose mental health was ‘at risk’ in their area.
• 36 per cent of respondents reported that, within children and young people’s mental health services in their area, there are mental health services that could work effectively with babies and toddlers aged from birth to two.
• 52 per centof respondents said their local NHS children and young people’s mental health service took referrals for children aged two and under. Many of these respondents reported that, while this was the referral criteria on paper, in reality, the service was not working with young children.

As one respondent, a specialist in infant mental health, commented, 'Although CAMHS is a 0-18 funded provision, I am currently the only member of my team carrying out work with a mother and baby (just one patient currently).

'There is a very low amount of mental health provision used for working with babies and toddlers throughout CAMHS, and I have been unique in carrying out this work in most teams I have been in. This does not match at all the need of babies, toddlers and their families, which if allocated more, could greatly cut down on the number and severity of referrals later in the child’s life.’

As well as highlighting a gap in provision, the survey results also underline concerning disparities in training, understanding and confidence levels among professionals working in children and young people’s mental health services.

Just under a third (31 per cent) of mental health practitioners who took part in the survey felt that they didn't understand infant mental health, rating their understanding as only 1 out of 5.

As another respondent said, ‘It is very difficult to get people to recognise that infants and toddlers can have serious emotional difficulties.’

The survey was completed by 283 practitioners working in NHS infant, children and or young people’s mental health services (CAMHS) from a wide range of professions.

It marks the start of Infant Mental Health Awareness Week, which this year has the theme of ‘Including Infants in children and young people’s mental health’.

Ms Hogg added, ‘Wide ranging research indicates that mental wellbeing during the earliest years of life lays the foundations for later health and wellbeing. Changing our language to talk about “infant, children and young people’s mental health” is a simple but powerful way to drive change. We hope that Infant Mental Health Awareness Week can focus attention on what is needed to help all babies, especially those in the most need, to have the very best start to their lives.’

One of the Parent-Infant Foundation’s main aims is to raise awareness of the importance of infant mental health.

The charity promotes a need to understand the first 1001 days from conception to age two, and how this stage is a period of rapid development where early experiences can affect not only babies’ emotional wellbeing, but also influence how their bodies and brains develop.

To ensure that all children across the UK can access appropriate mental health provision, if and when they need it, it is calling for:

• Policy and investment from national Governments to increase provision of infant mental health services.
• A drive within the NHS to hold commissioners and providers to account for offering mental health services for all children.
• A workforce development strategy to ensure there are trained professionals with the specialised skills required to deliver these critical services.

Infant Mental Health Awareness Week runs from 7-13 June. More information on events is available here.

To pledge your commitment to helping to include infants in children and young people’s mental health, visit www.parentinfantfoundation.org.uk/includinginfantspledge

A short film ‘What is Infant Mental Health?’ has also been launched by the Parent-Infant Foundation.