Big increase in child psychiatry waiting times

Over the past year, the waiting time for psychiatric treatment for children and youths has increased from two months to a full year.

Last year, 183 children and teenagers were referred for psychiatric treatment. This year the number is approaching 300 – an increase of 65 percent.

This has serious negative effects on young people, explains Súsanna Reinert Petersen, consultant doctor at the National Hospital’s department of child and youth psychiatry

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“A consequence of this is that many spend a significant part of their childhood waiting to have their treatment needs assessed, which halts their development. This is a serious problem,” she says.

“The longer the wait, the more likely it is that they will struggle to cope in their daily lives, and their schoolwork and social relations will suffer. This can send them into a downward spiral with further complications, which may require more extensive treatment than they initially needed.”

Translated by prosa.fo