THE number of children requiring treatment for severe mental health issues has hit record highs, according to new analysis which lays bare the pandemic’s devastating impact on under-18s.

More than 409,000 children were referred to the NHS in England for issues such as suicidal thoughts and self harm between April and October 2021 – a rise of 77 per cent compared to the same period in 2019. 

According to NHS data analysed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists for the BBC, there were 349,449 under-18s in touch with NHS child and adolescent psychiatric teams at the end of October 2021 – the highest number on record.