Mental Health Inpatient Census 2023 - Parts 1 and 2

Children and young people treated in NHS Scotland facilities (additional detail)

Patients Aged Under 18:

• in the 2023 Census, there were 46 patients aged under 18.
• among them, 24 were aged 15 or under, and 22 were aged 16 to 17.
• 43 out of the 46 patients were in either a Children's Unit or Young Person's unit.

This section looks at patients in the Census aged under 18, regardless of whether they receive a Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). The total patient population is smaller here, so only high-level information is presented.

• these patients were mainly treated in Regional Services located in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, NHS Lothian, and NHS Tayside.
• 42 (91%) patients aged under 18 were referred by a Community Mental Health Service.
• 43 (93%) patients received treatment in a Children’s or Young People’s Unit, with 54 available beds for these wards at the 2023 Census.
• 24 (52%) patients were aged 15 or under, while 22 (48%) were aged 16 to 17. Among the patients aged under 18, 40 (87%) were female.
• 91% of patients were seen by a consultant who specialized in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
• the average (median) number of days since admission at the time of the Census was 67 days. This is 33 days longer than the 2023 Census.
• 15% of children and young people had been in the hospital for less than 2 weeks at the 2023 Census. This is 15 percentage points lower than in 2022.
• 25 (54%) patients under 18 had a diagnosis of a behavioural syndrome, while 14 (30%) had an autistic spectrum disorder. Other diagnoses were recorded for small numbers of patients. It's important to note that patients can have more than one condition.