Child mental health should be priority

Date: 12th March 2012
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

Young children taken into care in Scotland can suffer from long-term mental health problems which desperately need to be tackled according to a major charity.

The NSPCC is calling on the Scottish Government to ensure Scotland's youngest children are recognized in its forthcoming mental health strategy, as new figures show that the number of young children taken into care is the highest for more than ten years.

The call comes as international experts on infant mental health Professor Charley Zeanah from New Orleans and Professor T Berry Brazelton from Harvard University visit Scotland to speak at a conference, helping children living with a high risk of harm.

As more young children come into care, the NSPCC says that the impact of abuse and a lack of stable care on children's mental health is a growing problem for the whole of Scotland.

• Read the full article here.