Research from the University of Edinburgh shows that nearly half of children who access mental health services later require specialised adult psychiatric care, highlighting the need for integrated long-term support strategies.
A new Scottish study suggests mental ill health in childhood can cast a long shadow into adult life, with about 4 in 10 young people who use Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services later needing specialist psychiatric care as adults. Among teenagers, the proportion rises to about half by their early 30s, according to research from the University of Edinburgh published in the journal European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
The work follows almost half a million people born in Scotland between 1991 and 1998 and tracked them through 2023, making it the longest follow-up yet of young people who have used mental health services in the UK. Researchers found that 8% had attended CAMHS before turning 18, yet that group accounted for 46% of all adult psychiatric inpatient bed days and 41% of NHS adult mental health outpatient appointments by age 32.
The study also found that former CAMHS patients made up large shares of some of the most serious adult diagnoses, including 49% of personality disorder cases, 50% of eating disorder cases, 39% of schizophrenia cases and 39% of opioid use disorder cases. That aligns with earlier research on transitions from child to adult services, which has shown that movement between systems is often inconsistent and that many young people do not make a clean handover into adult care.
Professor Ian Kelleher, who led the study, said the findings underline how little is known about the long-term effects of childhood mental health treatment compared with other areas of medicine. The researchers want the Scottish government to create a Mental Health Observatory to link child and adult records and measure whether services and policy changes improve outcomes over time. Dr Jane Morris of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland backed that call, saying the work supports earlier intervention and stronger adult services to protect gains made in youth.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
