Mental health panel for young people in Jersey set up

A new mental health panel has been set up to help advise Jersey's government on how to improve mental health services for children and young people in the island, officials have said.

The strategic advisory panel (SAP) is to work towards creating a mental health strategy for children by 2025.

It will be made up of 14 young people, parents and mental health care workers.

The strategy was introduced in February to help "radically" improve the island's mental health services.

Research by the Education Department found one in six children aged between five and 16, and one in five aged between 17 and 22, were "likely to have a mental health disorder".

Rob Sainsbury, director general for children, young people, education and skills, said the need for mental health services had increased.

He said: "Over the past few years, there has been an increase in both demand for mental health services and an increase in complexity of need, which we believe to be exacerbated by the Covid pandemic.

"The children and young people emotional wellbeing and mental health strategy has been co-produced with children, young people, parents, carers and professionals, and its implementation will be overseen by this newly-created strategic advisory panel."

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