You have full access to this open access article. Young people with higher clinician-rated severity of psychopathology scores, with self- and parent-reported need for ongoing treatment, with lower everyday functional skills and without self-reported psychotic experiences were more likely to be recommended to continue treatment.
Among those who had been recommended to continue treatment, young people who used psychotropic medication, who had been in CAMHS for more than a year, and for whom appropriate AMHS were available were more likely to be recommended to continue treatment at AMHS. Young people whose parents indicated a need for ongoing treatment were more likely to be recommended to stay in CAMHS.
Although the decision regarding continuity of treatment was mostly determined by a small set of clinical characteristics, the recommendation to continue treatment at AMHS was mostly affected by service-use related characteristics, such as the availability of appropriate services. Mental health services for children and adolescents will usually provide care until the young person is aged 16β19 years.
Some argue that the provision of distinct child and adolescent mental health services CAMHS and adult mental health services AMHS may hamper the continuity of care [ 1 , 2 ] and that this discontinuity may adversely affect the mental health of young people. Additionally, previous studies often do not clearly indicate whether or not the discontinuity of care is in accordance with the recommendation from the CAMHS clinician, i.
Once young people reach the upper age limit of their CAMHS, clinicians need to advise patients and their parents about the type of care, if any, that will be needed going forwards to ensure optimal mental health.
