Calls for immediate support for young people facing mental health problems

During the last Business statement of the Senedd term Mid and West MS Helen Mary Jones called for immediate support for young people facing mental health problems.

Plaid Cymru MS Helen Mary Jones said:

“I am calling for immediate support available to young people facing mental health problems, and we all know that these have been worsened by their experiences during the covid crisis. I met last week with students from Ysgol Y Strade in Llanelli, and one of their main concerns was the future mental health and well-being of themselves and their young colleagues. Even the Welsh Government acknowledges that there are real issues with access to services, with very long waiting times for some services to child and adolescent mental health services.

“Plaid Cymru in government would develop a national network of mental health and well-being centres for young people, and I’d do all I could to deliver  one of those in Llanelli.

“In the meantime, I would like to hear from the Minister for mental health about what support she can provide in the short term for those young people so that the very long waits for access to Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are dealt with and the approach that the Minister has talked about as regards it being more community based, using services like youth work services, rather than purely medical services to address the concerns of those young people from Ysgol Y Strade and from across my region.”