Children and young people’s mental health services (CYPMHS) is used as a term for all services that work with children and young people who have difficulties with their mental health or wellbeing.

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You may also see the term children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) used. This is an older term for the main specialist NHS community service within the wider CYPMHS that may be available locally. Local areas have a number of different support services available.

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These NHS-funded services, together with some local authority services, might be from the statutory, voluntary or school-based sector. For example, an NHS trust, local authority, school or charitable organisation.

 

Children and young people may need help with a wide range of issues at different points in their lives. Parents and carers may also need help and advice to deal with behavioural or other problems their child is experiencing.

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Parents, carers and young people can receive direct support through CYPMHS.

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You can find out more from this excellent guide by the Association for Child & Adolescent Mental Health, while the short films below give an insight into the experience of CAMHS from a young person's perspective.