0:00:03 > 0:00:05'One in four of us has a mental illness.'
0:00:08 > 0:00:10'And if that's not you, then it's probably somebody you know.'
0:00:14 > 0:00:17'Our young minds should be safe in the hands of the NHS,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20'but all too often, we're not getting the care we deserve.'
0:00:20 > 0:00:22My name is Jonny.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25I'm 26 years old and I have schizoaffective disorder,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27a combination of schizophrenia and depression.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30'I was let down by the health service
0:00:30 > 0:00:33'when I came close to taking my own life.'
0:00:33 > 0:00:35I was a risk to myself,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37so why did it take so long to actually get help?
0:00:39 > 0:00:41'Over the past five months, I've travelled the country,
0:00:41 > 0:00:43'meeting other young people
0:00:43 > 0:00:46'who are just as angry about their treatment.'
0:00:46 > 0:00:48My life was, like, falling apart
0:00:48 > 0:00:51and I had to beg and fight for this appointment.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55I do blame them for my mental health deteriorating afterwards
0:00:55 > 0:00:59to a point where I wanted to hurt myself.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01That's what they make you feel like.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03They make you feel like you are a burden.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09'I'll be meeting the medics exposing the truth about a failing system.'
0:01:09 > 0:01:10'There are cuts happening everywhere'
0:01:10 > 0:01:14and the people that suffer because of that are the patients.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20'And I'll be hearing from the families still looking for answers.'
0:01:20 > 0:01:23One of the hardest gifts to buy your child is a headstone.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26It's the final gift.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31'I'm going to reveal just how badly those of us with mental illness
0:01:31 > 0:01:32'are being failed by the NHS
0:01:32 > 0:01:35'and what the Government is going to do about it.'
0:01:44 > 0:01:47'This is me when I was three years old.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48'I had a happy childhood,
0:01:48 > 0:01:52'but it was also when I began to experience mental health problems.'
0:01:55 > 0:01:58'I was ten when I started to hear a voice in my head,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01'and as a teenager, I believed my whole life was being filmed.'
0:02:03 > 0:02:05'At the time, I thought it was all normal,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08'but I now know these were classic symptoms of schizophrenia.'
0:02:09 > 0:02:14# Welcome to the inner workings of my mind
0:02:14 > 0:02:17# So dark and foul I can't disguise
0:02:17 > 0:02:19# Can't disguise... #
0:02:20 > 0:02:24I first asked the NHS for help with my mental health when I was 17,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26but I never got the support I needed.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30And as a result, it took years for my condition to be diagnosed.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36'One of the worst failures happened when I was a student in Manchester.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38'It was before I was diagnosed
0:02:38 > 0:02:40'and I was going through a serious mental breakdown.'
0:02:40 > 0:02:43'There's no escape from... There's no escape... Devils...'
0:02:43 > 0:02:46I felt like I was being' possessed by the Devil.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50I was in the grips of psychosis and desperate to take my life,
0:02:50 > 0:02:51so I ran out the house.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58'There's no escape from... There's no escape... Devils inside...'
0:02:58 > 0:03:01I was walking the streets, completely out of control.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06Came into this busy road
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and just remember running alongside it,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12screaming and shouting at all the cars going past.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Eventually, I just collapsed
0:03:17 > 0:03:19and I remember my housemates came and found
0:03:19 > 0:03:23me and they took me to the local A&E down the road.
0:03:23 > 0:03:24I just wanted to end it all.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28I told the psychiatrist this,
0:03:28 > 0:03:30but he said there wasn't much he could do,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32didn't have any beds available.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Just gave me some Valium and sent me on my way.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44'Jayne was one of my best friends at university
0:03:44 > 0:03:47'and she took me to A&E when I was thinking about taking my own life.'
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Wow!
0:03:50 > 0:03:51HE LAUGHS
0:03:51 > 0:03:55- So weird!- God, it looks totally different!
0:03:55 > 0:03:59'I've brought her back to my old student house in Manchester.'
0:03:59 > 0:04:01What do you remember about that night?
0:04:01 > 0:04:06I think that night was probably one of the worst nights ever.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08So we got to A&E.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10I was just sat there, thinking, like, you know,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13"Can we be seen already? And just, "We need some help now."
0:04:13 > 0:04:16And then that male doctor came. Do you remember?
0:04:16 > 0:04:20He spoke to all three of us and you probably don't know this,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22and I don't think... I've probably not told you before,
0:04:22 > 0:04:27but he spoke to me and Tom outside and he said,
0:04:27 > 0:04:28"Is there any way he's sort of..."
0:04:28 > 0:04:30I can't remember his words,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33but it were basically, sort of, being dramatic, putting this on.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- No way!- Yeah.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37I don't think I've ever told you that
0:04:37 > 0:04:40because I don't want to upset you, but I thought... I think now...
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Well, exactly. And I think now, looking back,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46you'd got to that point, you were asking for help,
0:04:46 > 0:04:50and a medical professional psychiatrist, or whoever he was,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54was basically trying to brush it aside, what had happened.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56I remember saying to him, "Help me, help me!"
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Like, "I'm going to kill myself if you let me go. You need to help me."
0:04:59 > 0:05:02He was just saying to me, "Well, we can't really admit you.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06"You'll have to go home," and I remember... I begged him!
0:05:06 > 0:05:09I remember begging him at one point, being, like,
0:05:09 > 0:05:10"You can't let me go home
0:05:10 > 0:05:12"cos I don't know what I'm going to do to myself."
0:05:12 > 0:05:14I just think when you get to that point and you're asking for help,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18and that's the sort of support you receive, how awful is that?
0:05:20 > 0:05:23- See you!- Send my love to Joe. - I will do. Bye!- See you later.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31I've always felt pretty angry
0:05:31 > 0:05:33at the way I was treated at A&E that night.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40To even suggest that I was putting on my suicidal feelings,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43the voice I was hearing in my head,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45is just beyond me.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48And the awful thing is, I know other people have been through that,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50and are still going through that today.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53And I was one of the lucky ones because I had support around me.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I had my friends around me.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57I know that if I'd have gone alone to A&E
0:05:57 > 0:05:59and if I'd have had that reaction...
0:06:01 > 0:06:04..I don't know if I'd still be here today.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11My difficulties in getting help for my mental illness from the NHS
0:06:11 > 0:06:13inspired me to start researching the problem.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16And I've discovered 2,000 psychiatric beds have been cut
0:06:16 > 0:06:18in the last two years in England.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21I now have an online video blog
0:06:21 > 0:06:24to find out if other young people are also experiencing problems.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29I get messages all the time from people through YouTube
0:06:29 > 0:06:33and they're saying to me, "What do I do?
0:06:33 > 0:06:38"I'm experiencing mental illness and I can't get the help that I need."
0:06:38 > 0:06:41'It's surprising how many young people
0:06:41 > 0:06:43'are struggling to get help from the NHS.'
0:06:44 > 0:06:49There's three problems which keep coming up again and again.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50Problems with GPs,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53problems with child and adolescent mental health services,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55and problems with A&E.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04If someone self-harms or attempt suicide,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06they're usually taken to A&E.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10NHS guidelines say such patients
0:07:10 > 0:07:13are always supposed to be assessed by a mental health specialist
0:07:13 > 0:07:16as well as having any physical wounds treated,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18But Professor Nav Kapur has found out
0:07:18 > 0:07:21that this isn't happening in 50% of hospitals.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Half of people who had self-harmed
0:07:26 > 0:07:29got an assessment of their mental health needs,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31their social needs, what might help.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34And half of people didn't.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36And so, for those half of people who didn't,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38that's a missed opportunity,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41a missed opportunity to learn more about the problem,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44to engage people in treatment and, potentially,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48a missed opportunity to prevent future self-harm, or even suicide.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57The problem is there just aren't enough mental health specialists
0:07:57 > 0:08:01to assess and treat people in our hospitals' emergency departments.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03I'm driving to Great Yarmouth to meet Emma,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06whose mental health needs are being repeatedly ignored
0:08:06 > 0:08:07when she's ended up in A&E.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- Hiya. You Emma?- Yeah. - I'm Jonny.- Nice to meet you.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16'She's 21 years old and shares a house with her partner, Shanice.'
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- Hiya.- Hiya.- You all right? I'm Jonny. How's it going?
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- Fine, thank you.- Cool, cool. - Would you like a cup of tea?- Yeah.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Please, please. Yeah, I'd love a cup of tea.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26- So, is this place both of yours?- Yes.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30- Yeah, we moved in in August last year.- Oh, right. Cool.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32And where did you two meet?
0:08:32 > 0:08:34- BOTH: Online. - Oh, right, OK. Cool.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36We've been together a year and a bit now.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40'Emma has been diagnosed with bipolar,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43'post-traumatic stress disorder,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46'and borderline personality disorder.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48'Every day, she takes a combination of pills
0:08:48 > 0:08:50'to stay on top of her mental health problems.'
0:08:50 > 0:08:56I take my Quetiapines at night because they're a sedative.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00And I take these ones in the morning.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04What would you be like if you didn't take your meds?
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Oh, I'd be a state!
0:09:06 > 0:09:08I mean, in the past, when I haven't been medicated properly,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11I'd go into a shop and spend £300 and not take a second thought.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15But if you flip it over, and sort of the depression,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19you're talking about drink, you're talking about self-harm.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21'Emma started cutting herself when she was 15,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24'triggered by her dad becoming ill
0:09:24 > 0:09:26'and anxiety about her GCSEs.'
0:09:26 > 0:09:29I think, at the time, I was so desperate,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31just to get the pain out,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34that I thought that was a better way of doing it,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37which, to be fair, I could have done a lot worse, you know.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39I could have killed myself.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47'But when it comes to getting the right care,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49'she has been repeatedly let down by the NHS.'
0:09:51 > 0:09:55How many times have you presented at A&E, having self-harmed?
0:09:55 > 0:09:57I would go with about six or seven times.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01- And how many of those times have you been psychologically assessed?- None.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06'What do you think's been the most serious incident of self-harm
0:10:06 > 0:10:08'that you've gone to A&E about?'
0:10:08 > 0:10:11'I cut my foot open'
0:10:11 > 0:10:13and had to have ten stitches.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15'I think that was the worst one.'
0:10:15 > 0:10:18'And when you leave A&E, when you walk out that door,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20'are you just left to go home by herself
0:10:20 > 0:10:22'and literally carry on as you are?'
0:10:22 > 0:10:23'Yeah.'
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Every time I've gone, they've patched me up,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29sent me out the door, and that's it. Go home.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34No referral, no advice on what to do. Just, you know...
0:10:34 > 0:10:36There's the door.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39'If you get treated like dirt,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41'you kind of go from "I'm frustrated",
0:10:41 > 0:10:43'to "I'm going to hurt myself",'
0:10:43 > 0:10:45to "what is the point?"
0:10:45 > 0:10:47You know.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51"I should be ashamed of what I've done" and, you know,
0:10:51 > 0:10:52"I should probably", you know,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55"take myself off this Earth so I'm not so much of a burden on people."
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Cos that's what they make you feel like.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59They make you feel like you are a burden.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Meeting Emma today has been really inspirational.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15I just admire her courage so much.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16She's got such a positive spirit,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19despite everything that she's been through.
0:11:19 > 0:11:20I mean, if that was me,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23I don't know if I'd have such determination to carry on.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26So many times, she's been let down by A&E,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28the people that should be there, supporting her
0:11:28 > 0:11:30and, especially, assessing her.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32The fact that she's not had one assessment,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36despite having self-harmed and presented there so many times,
0:11:36 > 0:11:37is just outrageous!
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Everyone that's self-harmed needs an assessment when they go to A&E.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42It's just not happening.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52But problems with treatment in UK emergency departments
0:11:52 > 0:11:54don't stop there.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Not being given access to a psychiatrist
0:11:56 > 0:12:00or a psychiatric nurse in A&E can be a matter of life or death.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04I've travelled to Belfast
0:12:04 > 0:12:06to meet a family whose teenage son took his own life
0:12:06 > 0:12:10after waiting for more than eight hours for treatment in an A&E unit.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Northern Ireland has a growing problem with suicide.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17According to the MP for North Belfast, Nigel Dodds,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21the suicide rate has increased 100% in less than 15 years.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22That's a huge rise!
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Christopher Ferrin, known by his nickname Chricky,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32died three years ago when he was just 19.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38'His family are still devastated by their loss.'
0:12:40 > 0:12:44This is Chricky's final resting place.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49One of the hardest gifts to buy your child is a headstone.
0:12:49 > 0:12:50It's the final gift.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53All I can buy you from now on's a bunch of flowers.
0:12:56 > 0:12:57It's...
0:13:01 > 0:13:02It's hard.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08'Christopher was your normal,'
0:13:08 > 0:13:10boisterous, cheeky chappie.
0:13:10 > 0:13:16He wasn't an angel, not by anybody's book, but he wasn't the worst kid.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18He did have a difficult start in life.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21We adopted him when he was three
0:13:21 > 0:13:26and we tried to make his life as good as possible.
0:13:26 > 0:13:27'Since his death,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30'Christopher's bedroom at home has stayed untouched.'
0:13:32 > 0:13:35- And this is where you sleep?- Yep.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39This is where I feel closest to Christopher, or Chricky.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41This is his room.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46These are new trousers he actually bought, just before he died.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49I actually keep them there. I still have all his clothes.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53- And nothing in this room has changed since?- Nope. No, nothing at all.
0:13:53 > 0:13:54Just as he left it.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58'Christopher had problems with drugs and alcohol.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02'He also secretly struggled with his mental health.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04'His mother Kate only found this out
0:14:04 > 0:14:07'after Christopher's GP made an emergency referral
0:14:07 > 0:14:09'to an A&E unit in August 2010.'
0:14:13 > 0:14:17He was in a terrible state. He told them he was going to self-harm.
0:14:17 > 0:14:23He was agitated, he was telling them he needed help
0:14:23 > 0:14:26and they kept saying, "There'll be somebody here soon.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29"Somebody here soon." And eight-and-a-half hours later,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31there were still nobody there to see him.
0:14:32 > 0:14:38- So, in all that time, he never had a mental health assessment at A&E?- No.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41He actually... After eight-and-a-half hours, he was so agitated,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44he rang from the hospital, crying, and told them...
0:14:44 > 0:14:47He says, "If anything happens to me, it's not my fault."
0:14:52 > 0:14:54Over the next four days,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56Christopher tried to get help from other health services,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58but according to his brother Darren
0:14:58 > 0:15:00his mental illness just got worse.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04I think, if they had given him the help he needed,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06it would have been a far different outcome,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08it would have been a better outcome,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10but they didn't give him the help that he did need.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12You just think, "What if this was different?
0:15:12 > 0:15:14"Would that have caused a different outcome?"
0:15:15 > 0:15:18'Five days after his long wait in A&E,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21'Christopher's body was discovered in a Belfast park.'
0:15:23 > 0:15:25He was found at two minutes past three,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29and it was shortly after that that two policemen came to the door.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Asked me my name, said, "Are you Kate Ferrin?" I says, "Yes."
0:15:33 > 0:15:37And all I remember them saying is, "I'm sorry to tell you..."
0:15:37 > 0:15:39At which point, I collapsed.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45'The health service in Northern Ireland
0:15:45 > 0:15:47'refused to comment on Christopher's case,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50'but Kate believes it did not do enough to save her son's life.'
0:15:51 > 0:15:54They did not help him when he cried for help.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01And he begged them to help. And they didn't give him any help whatsoever.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04They told him he wasn't a danger to himself.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Well, if that's not a danger to himself, what is?
0:16:15 > 0:16:17No family should ever have to go through
0:16:17 > 0:16:18what the Ferrins have been through.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Not only did they lose a son, a brother,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25but they had to really watch him struggle and suffer.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28He never got the help he needed, despite asking for it.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30In terms of young people,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34on average, four young people under the age of 34 a day
0:16:34 > 0:16:36take their lives.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38How frustrating is it for you?
0:16:38 > 0:16:40That's a particular concern for, you know,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43any of us working in the health services,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47any of us working with individuals who might be at risk.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50And, of course, the particular issue with young people
0:16:50 > 0:16:53is the potential years of life that are lost.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56So each suicide is an individual tragedy.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00But for me, personally, when a young person takes their life,
0:17:00 > 0:17:01that really is something
0:17:01 > 0:17:05we need to do our very, very best to try and prevent.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12'Over 1,600 young people take their own lives every year in the UK
0:17:12 > 0:17:13'and the numbers are increasing.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16'Christopher's 18-year-old brother Darren
0:17:16 > 0:17:19'now wants to learn how to help prevent other young people
0:17:19 > 0:17:20'from attempting suicide.'
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Is your drive to help other people...
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Is that driven by Christopher's death?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Yeah, cos you don't want anyone else to feel what you felt,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28cos it is hard. It's...
0:17:28 > 0:17:29I don't want anyone else
0:17:29 > 0:17:31to go through the pain and go through the suffering.
0:17:35 > 0:17:36'So Darren is attending
0:17:36 > 0:17:39a hard-hitting charity-run training course called Mind Your Mate.'
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Say if you take drugs, or you're taking lots of alcohol, right?
0:17:45 > 0:17:47It affects your mental health,
0:17:47 > 0:17:51but it also can increase the risk of you ending your own life
0:17:51 > 0:17:52by eight times.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54'As well as helping young people understand
0:17:54 > 0:17:57'why they themselves might become suicidal,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00'it also teaches them to recognise mental health problems in friends
0:18:00 > 0:18:01'before it's too late.'
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Depression is actually a major illness.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06And this is where the problem is,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09when we say things like, "Are you mental? They're crazy.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11"They're wired up."
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Someone who's suffering from depression may not ask for help
0:18:15 > 0:18:17because they don't want to be labelled.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20And what we've got to do, and what we've got to encourage,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23is for people to ask for help.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26But what you also need is a good mate who can say to you,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29"If you want to go and talk to somebody, I'll go with you."
0:18:29 > 0:18:32'Sometimes, you can't do it by yourself.'
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Most of the times, you can't be by yourself.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36You always need someone by your side.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39And when you have someone by your side, it makes it a whole lot easier.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43'It doesn't even have to be a friend who takes time to listen.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47'A passer-by once stopped when I was suicidal and gave me hope.'
0:18:47 > 0:18:50That's right. Does she do that?
0:18:56 > 0:18:59In the weeks after my awful A&E experience,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01I became increasingly psychotic
0:19:01 > 0:19:03and ended up in a private psychiatric hospital in London
0:19:03 > 0:19:07where I was diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11I felt like I wasn't getting any better at the hospital.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13And neither, it seemed, were the other patients around me.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18I'd no hope. The future just looked really bleak.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23I thought the only way out of it was to end my life,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26so I managed to escape from the hospital
0:19:26 > 0:19:29and I caught a train up to central London.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36I was on the edge of killing myself,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38but then, something unexpected happened.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41A busy London commuter stopped and talk to me.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43It was really kind and compassionate.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46And because he took the time to stop and talk,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48it gave me hope. He didn't judge.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51He just seemed to listen and understand
0:19:51 > 0:19:55and it actually made me feel like life was maybe worth living again.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58I'm now in a much better place,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00but through my campaign work,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03I've heard from other young people failed by the NHS,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05and the problems often start with their GP.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Before I was diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15I regularly saw my GP at university.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18She was aware of my previous suicidal behaviour
0:20:18 > 0:20:22and when I first saw her, I told her all about my mental health problems.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26She just advised me to do more exercise and improve my diet.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29I remember feeling really disappointed.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31It had taken me a lot of courage to go and see her,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35but she was the expert, so I didn't question anything she said.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42It's not just me who's had a bad experience with their GP.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44I've discovered many general practitioners
0:20:44 > 0:20:47just don't have the specialist training needed
0:20:47 > 0:20:48to treat mental illness.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54I'm meeting a 20-year-old student called Nick,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56who was badly let down by one GP.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02We're just about to meet Nick. I think this is him now.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04'He's a huge football fan,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06'so we're going to watch his favourite team, Gateshead,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08'play Mansfield.'
0:21:09 > 0:21:13- Is today going to be a tough match?- Umm...
0:21:13 > 0:21:14Unfortunately, it may well be.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Mansfield are quite a lot...
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Doing quite a lot better than Gateshead are
0:21:18 > 0:21:22and we're just trying to avoid relegation at this point in time.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26'Nick has depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27'The condition makes him feel
0:21:27 > 0:21:29'he has to repeatedly carry out certain tasks,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31'such as washing his hands.'
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Well, I guess it all started when I was about 12 years old
0:21:35 > 0:21:37and one of my close friends killed herself.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41And for the first few months,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43I didn't really know how to deal with it.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45So life pretty much carried on as usual.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47And then slowly, when I started thinking about it more,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49and it started affecting me more,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52I would sort of start doing things in a certain way,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55in a certain manner, to try and use them as coping mechanisms.
0:21:55 > 0:21:56So, for example,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59I'd start washing my hands a bit more often than I would normally,
0:21:59 > 0:22:01I'd shower in a special way.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03And if I didn't do it properly, I'd have to start again.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06And it got to the point where it was really affecting my quality of life.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11'When he was 13, Nick was prescribed 20 milligrams daily
0:22:11 > 0:22:15'of the antidepressant Fluoxetine, also known as Prozac.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19'It worked, but last year, his symptoms returned,
0:22:19 > 0:22:21'so he went to see another GP.'
0:22:21 > 0:22:23So I went in to talk to the GP about it
0:22:23 > 0:22:25and spoke to him about it for about three minutes,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27explained a bit of my background.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29I explained that it was getting worse and worse.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32And he put me on Fluoxetine, which is the same as Prozac,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36and wrote the prescription and sent me on my way and said,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38"Come back in a month," basically.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43- What dosage of Prozac were you put on?- It was 60 milligrams of Prozac.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46'The prescription was three times his previous daily dose.'
0:22:46 > 0:22:50- So did they go through the side effects at all?- No!
0:22:50 > 0:22:52No, I was literally given a prescription
0:22:52 > 0:22:55for 60 milligrams of Fluoxetine daily, and that was it.
0:22:55 > 0:22:56I wasn't told about any side effects,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58I wasn't told about any health risks.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01And he just sent me on my way, to be honest.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Hi, can I get a programme, please?
0:23:03 > 0:23:06'Not warning Nick about possible side effects
0:23:06 > 0:23:07'proved to be a big mistake.'
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Ah, the life of a Gateshead fan!
0:23:11 > 0:23:16'Within days, he began to feel sick and struggled to get any sleep.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18'But far worse was to follow.'
0:23:18 > 0:23:20'I remember one time, I'll never forget it.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23'I was in the car, driving home,
0:23:23 > 0:23:27and I just felt like flooring it and just smashing into a wall.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29And I had to stop the car.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30It was pouring outside
0:23:30 > 0:23:32and I just remember standing outside for about 20 minutes,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35curled up into a ball, and it was...
0:23:35 > 0:23:38I just couldn't handle it, but I was...
0:23:38 > 0:23:40It was shocking when I read the pamphlet later on
0:23:40 > 0:23:44and I found out that there was an increased risk of suicidal thoughts,
0:23:44 > 0:23:45particularly in young people.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49And I hadn't been told about that. And I... For some reason,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52I managed to have the self-control, or the luck, to stop the car.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55But if I hadn't, not only I would have been hurt, possibly killed,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57but I could have hurt other people.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59'That was when I really noticed that, hang on,
0:23:59 > 0:24:00something's wrong here.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02'I need to find out why I'm feeling like this
0:24:02 > 0:24:05'and I need to get a second opinion as well.'
0:24:07 > 0:24:10'I talked to my local GP at home about it'
0:24:10 > 0:24:11and he was absolutely shocked
0:24:11 > 0:24:14that I'd been put on that quantity of Fluoxetine
0:24:14 > 0:24:16and he went through the side effects with me.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17And he just couldn't believe it.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19He kept shaking his head and saying,
0:24:19 > 0:24:21"This is not what a doctor should be doing."
0:24:21 > 0:24:24I should not have been put on that dosage straight away.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30'Dr Ranj Singh works in A&E departments
0:24:30 > 0:24:31'in specialist children's units,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35'where he regularly treats young people with mental health problems.'
0:24:35 > 0:24:38We know that with antidepressants in young people,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40there are risks involved
0:24:40 > 0:24:42and you have to take that into account
0:24:42 > 0:24:45and you have to talk about that with your patients.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Difficulty is, when you've got ten minutes
0:24:48 > 0:24:50to see and sort and decide on a treatment
0:24:50 > 0:24:53and discuss everything with them,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55it's an extremely difficult situation,
0:24:55 > 0:24:56and I don't think it's good enough.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06But sometimes, young people don't recognise
0:25:06 > 0:25:09that the problems they have are caused by a mental illness,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11so they don't book in to see their GP.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18'I've come to Brighton to meet 25-year-old Elliot.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22'Like me, he's one of the 6 million people in Britain with depression,
0:25:22 > 0:25:27'but it took him two years to decide to go and see a GP.'
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Describe to me what the depression's like.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Just feel completely low,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37cos you don't feel happy, you don't really feel anything,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40don't have any motivation.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44But mine, very much, was really frustration with myself
0:25:44 > 0:25:50on not being able to do really simple things.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53And that makes you feel worse cos of the depression,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56so it's a constant... It's a vicious cycle.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58It just gets worse and worse and worse and worse.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02'At the age of 19, Elliot was in denial about his depression,
0:26:02 > 0:26:07'so instead of going to see a GP, he turned to alcohol.'
0:26:07 > 0:26:10When I would feel really down,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14or I just couldn't feel like this any more,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17I would go out with my friends
0:26:17 > 0:26:20and drink a hell of a lot
0:26:20 > 0:26:25because it would stop the white noise in the back of your head.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30It would get... You feel a sense of euphoria and you just feel...
0:26:30 > 0:26:33You just feel better. You're not better, in any way.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38'When Elliot did go to see a GP
0:26:38 > 0:26:41'about his depression and heavy drinking,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44'she wanted to prescribe him cognitive behavioural therapy,
0:26:44 > 0:26:45'also known as CBT.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48'But NHS waiting times proved to be a big barrier.'
0:26:48 > 0:26:51The timeframes that it was working, she said,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55"It's going to be six months, probably, if we're lucky,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58"if we can get you onto it."
0:26:58 > 0:27:00And we didn't. And that was horrible.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05'Fortunately, a local mental health charity
0:27:05 > 0:27:08'gave Elliot the cognitive behavioural therapy he needed.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10'The end results were striking.'
0:27:11 > 0:27:13I feel great. I feel more in control.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16And I can get my life back on track now.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18And that's, what, two-and-a-half years
0:27:18 > 0:27:20since I first went to try and get help from the NHS.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24And I just couldn't get it.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30'Elliot's not alone in being frustrated with NHS waiting times
0:27:30 > 0:27:31'for talking therapies.'
0:27:31 > 0:27:35We know what somebody needs and we're up against a waiting list
0:27:35 > 0:27:38and we can only recommend that they go on that waiting list and wait.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Sometimes we can't access services
0:27:41 > 0:27:45that we previously used to be able to. And that's because...
0:27:45 > 0:27:49Principally, it's because of funding.
0:27:49 > 0:27:50'Elliot is now a volunteer
0:27:50 > 0:27:54'with the charity who arranged his CBT therapy.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57'The Right Here Project is creating a website and smartphone app
0:27:57 > 0:28:00'which they hope will help young people with mental health problems
0:28:00 > 0:28:03'make the most of their GP appointment.'
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Some of the main things we found
0:28:05 > 0:28:08were that young people felt intimidated, they felt stereotyped.
0:28:08 > 0:28:09Also, another thing we found
0:28:09 > 0:28:12is that young people didn't really understand their confidentiality
0:28:12 > 0:28:16when they went to a GP, or feel comfortable discussing
0:28:16 > 0:28:19maybe, like, issues especially to do with mental health.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22'Doc Ready aims to help young people prepare for their GP visit,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25'know what to expect, and keep a record of their appointment.'
0:28:26 > 0:28:29'Elliot is helping with the design of the app.'
0:28:29 > 0:28:33- You know, just here, I don't like the FAQ there.- OK.- I really don't!
0:28:33 > 0:28:35- What would you prefer?- I prefer it up here.- OK. We can change that.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37All right.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42'I think the app, Doc Ready, looks absolutely fantastic
0:28:42 > 0:28:43'and very exciting.'
0:28:43 > 0:28:46And it's great to see Elliot so involved in it as well.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Feels like it's given him real purpose.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51'Having that kind of safety net, those tools there,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54'before going in to a GP consultation...'
0:28:54 > 0:28:58I think, from my point of view, would have helped me immensely
0:28:58 > 0:29:01when it comes to talking about my mental health.
0:29:01 > 0:29:02'Because of the stigma,
0:29:02 > 0:29:06'I've only recently started to be open about my mental illness.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10'I hid my problems from friends and family right through my teens.'
0:29:12 > 0:29:15'When I was 17, I even managed to keep my referral
0:29:15 > 0:29:19'to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service a secret.'
0:29:20 > 0:29:22'It's better known as CAMHS
0:29:22 > 0:29:24'and provides specialist care
0:29:24 > 0:29:27'to anyone under the age of 18 with a mental illness.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31'My one appointment with them is detailed in my medical notes.'
0:29:31 > 0:29:34This seems to be the letter from CAMHS.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38And it says, "He described feeling depressed since 2001.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42"In the last year, he has had a few incidents
0:29:42 > 0:29:44"which he, himself, says is worrying.
0:29:44 > 0:29:49"Such as, he lost his entire portfolio of artwork on the train,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51"and subsequently felt so bad that he..."
0:29:51 > 0:29:54"That he tried to hang himself in the toilet."
0:29:57 > 0:29:59"No-one was aware of this incident
0:29:59 > 0:30:03"and he managed to keep himself safe until he felt better. Erm..."
0:30:07 > 0:30:09"It's incidents like these
0:30:09 > 0:30:11"that Jonathan tends to keep ruminating about,
0:30:11 > 0:30:13"which only make him feel a lot worse."
0:30:19 > 0:30:23I was doing that, and I was at risk to myself. So...
0:30:24 > 0:30:27why did it take so long to actually get help?
0:30:28 > 0:30:31CAMHS promised me regular appointments.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35But then I didn't hear from them for...three months
0:30:35 > 0:30:38and by this point I'd just given up hope
0:30:38 > 0:30:40and lost faith in the service. And I thought,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43"I'm just going to have to manage my mental health on my own."
0:30:43 > 0:30:45And so I did.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52'Chloe is a 21-year-old law student,
0:30:52 > 0:30:53'who, through no fault of her own,
0:30:53 > 0:30:55'had to desperately fight for her one appointment
0:30:55 > 0:30:59'with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.'
0:30:59 > 0:31:03I used to have really rushing thoughts in the middle of the night,
0:31:03 > 0:31:05or in the middle of the day,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07or I could be doing anything,
0:31:07 > 0:31:11and my mind would just be, you know, going at 100 miles an hour.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13I honestly thought I was, like, on my own.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16It was quite scary and lonely,
0:31:16 > 0:31:20but I thought, you know, it was just who I was, just my personality.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24She didn't know it at the time,
0:31:24 > 0:31:28but she was in fact struggling to cope with being bipolar.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32I never heard anyone speak of hearing a voice,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35or having these thoughts, or, like, not sleeping.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37I had never heard of it before.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41It got to a point where I just could no longer hide it,
0:31:41 > 0:31:44I could no longer, like, cover it up, but I didn't know what was going on.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48So, these guys are paying for the drinks, then?
0:31:48 > 0:31:51- LAUGHTER - Right, OK.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54'Chloe decided to see a GP,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57'who referred her to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00'But the appointment was four days after her 18th birthday
0:32:00 > 0:32:02'the normal cut-off age for access to CAMHS.'
0:32:04 > 0:32:07Tell me about what happened when you went to your CAMHS appointment.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10They took all my details. They found my appointment.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12But they said, "Oh, but you're 18, and I said,
0:32:12 > 0:32:14"Yeah, I turned 18 four days ago."
0:32:14 > 0:32:18"Oh, well, we can't see you then, unless it's really urgent,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21"we can't see you, you're no longer classed in the child category."
0:32:21 > 0:32:24And I said, "Yeah, but you gave me that appointment
0:32:24 > 0:32:27"knowing my date of birth and everything. That's your mistake."
0:32:27 > 0:32:28"It's not my mistake."
0:32:28 > 0:32:31I literally said to her, "Well, what have I said, to you?
0:32:31 > 0:32:35"That I'm this close to walking out into the road in front of a car."
0:32:35 > 0:32:37I said, "Would that make any difference?"
0:32:37 > 0:32:39"Yeah, yeah, you'll be seen as urgent then."
0:32:39 > 0:32:41I said, "You are saying that
0:32:41 > 0:32:46"unless things are that bad that I want to kill myself,
0:32:46 > 0:32:47"I can't see anyone."
0:32:47 > 0:32:49You know, that's awful, you know?
0:32:49 > 0:32:53My life was, like, falling apart and I just thought, I can't cope.
0:32:53 > 0:32:58I just can't cope. And I had to beg and fight for this appointment.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02Having to fight so hard for treatment
0:33:02 > 0:33:05has damaged Chloe's faith in the NHS.
0:33:05 > 0:33:06I just don't trust them.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10I don't trust anything they put forward, I just don't trust it.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14I'm the one that's kept myself going, all this time.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17And I continue to do so. It's difficult.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21Don't get me wrong, it's hard, it can be lonely, it can be scary,
0:33:21 > 0:33:26I definitely think this is how I'm going to have to deal with it.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28To Chloe.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30ALL: To Chloe!
0:33:30 > 0:33:31Cheers!
0:33:31 > 0:33:34'I've also found out there is poor communication
0:33:34 > 0:33:37'between the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
0:33:37 > 0:33:39'and the Adult Mental Health Service,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41'which means, when young people reach the age of 18,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44'they are often cut off from receiving any help at all.'
0:33:48 > 0:33:52'Kimberley is 21 years old and works in insurance.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55'She lives in Norwich and is getting married in November.'
0:33:55 > 0:33:58Are we... Well, not WE, you're going to try some dresses on!
0:33:58 > 0:34:00I'm not going to try them on.
0:34:00 > 0:34:01You can if you want!
0:34:01 > 0:34:04I'm actually quite tempted, because they're really nice.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08I'll just bring out this one.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10LAUGHTER
0:34:10 > 0:34:13- Yeah, I'll try it on, Yeah? - Why not?- OK.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15'The build-up to her wedding is difficult
0:34:15 > 0:34:19'because Kimberley suffers from severe anxiety and depression.'
0:34:23 > 0:34:25I have very down days, to the point where
0:34:25 > 0:34:29I don't want to get out of bed in the morning.
0:34:29 > 0:34:34My anxiety in particular is a big factor of my life.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37The depression side of things, I get really, really low,
0:34:37 > 0:34:40to the point where it feels like there's a physical dark cloud over me
0:34:40 > 0:34:42and there's nothing I can do to get rid of it.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46'When she was 14,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50'Kimberley was referred to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
0:34:50 > 0:34:54'and over the next three years, she had regular therapy sessions.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56'But, as her 18th birthday approached,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59'her appointments began to be cancelled.'
0:35:00 > 0:35:04The sessions just came to a halt
0:35:04 > 0:35:06and that was kind of it, really.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08I didn't really hear too much else from them.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12And just, a line got drawn under it, and that was that.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16Were you aware that you were going to be cut off?
0:35:16 > 0:35:18It kind of made me a bit angry,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21but I thought, perhaps I don't need it, perhaps I don't need that help,
0:35:21 > 0:35:25perhaps that's it, I'm not going to feel like this ever again
0:35:25 > 0:35:26and now I'm 18, I'm an adult,
0:35:26 > 0:35:29like the world's my oyster, I'll do what I want.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32And I just thought that I had no limitations, in a way,
0:35:32 > 0:35:34and I thought, well, if the doctor doesn't want to see me,
0:35:34 > 0:35:37there's obviously nothing wrong.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39- Wow!- I like this one.
0:35:39 > 0:35:40SHE LAUGHS
0:35:40 > 0:35:42- I like that one! Yeah?- Yeah.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45- Yeah.- It's lovely.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48'Kimberley wasn't even told
0:35:48 > 0:35:50'an adult mental health service existed.
0:35:50 > 0:35:51'She fell into the gap
0:35:51 > 0:35:54'between the child and adult mental health services.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58'And with no support, Kimberley began to suffer increased anxiety
0:35:58 > 0:36:00'and more panic attacks.'
0:36:00 > 0:36:02I thought, I've got myself into this position,
0:36:02 > 0:36:07why can I not just get on, like any other normal 18, 19-year-old?
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Looking back at it now, I do blame them, to a degree,
0:36:10 > 0:36:13for my mental health deteriorating afterwards,
0:36:13 > 0:36:15to a point where I wanted to hurt myself.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20'I have self-harmed.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22'I did, when I felt really low,
0:36:22 > 0:36:26'and I didn't see any point in anything. And I do blame'
0:36:26 > 0:36:30the child and adolescent service for that, to a degree, definitely.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33'It's left husband-to-be James
0:36:33 > 0:36:36'angered by the lack of support from the NHS.'
0:36:36 > 0:36:37If someone has anxiety,
0:36:37 > 0:36:41they're not as confident in speaking up and saying,
0:36:41 > 0:36:42"Well, I don't agree with that."
0:36:42 > 0:36:45And, you know, a family member or friend
0:36:45 > 0:36:47or boyfriend at the time, you know,
0:36:47 > 0:36:50can't say to a doctor, "I think you should be doing this."
0:36:50 > 0:36:55They won't talk to me. They won't talk to Kim's mum, whoever.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58It would have to come from her, that she wasn't happy about it.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00You know, if someone's already got that anxiety,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03it's difficult for them to do that. So I was always sort of saying,
0:37:03 > 0:37:05you need to go back and ask and find out.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07And it was difficult for her,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10and completely understandable that it was.
0:37:10 > 0:37:11Oh, it's so pretty.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14I love the colour as well.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16This is kind of like the colours we'd want.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18'I just got completely let down.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20'I was approaching 18, and they just cut me off.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23'It's awful, and to think that'
0:37:23 > 0:37:25it could happen to someone else,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27that really saddens me, definitely.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31'I found out that up to a third of teenagers
0:37:31 > 0:37:33'are also being abandoned by CAMHS
0:37:33 > 0:37:36'when they approach adulthood.'
0:37:36 > 0:37:39When people are transitioned from CAMHS to adult services,
0:37:39 > 0:37:42that transition should be integrated, it should be graded,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45it should be based on an introduction
0:37:45 > 0:37:47and a step-by-step process.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49It should involve the young person,
0:37:49 > 0:37:51in terms of negotiating and planning their care.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53That's the best way to do it.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57Unfortunately, that doesn't happen that way, in many instances.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59There was a study in London that was done
0:37:59 > 0:38:03and only 4% of young people experienced "a good transition".
0:38:03 > 0:38:06Only 4%. I think that's a shocking figure.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10I like the back as well. It's got, like, an open back.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14'With two thirds of CAMHS budgets in England having been cut since 2010,
0:38:14 > 0:38:16'more young people like Kimberley
0:38:16 > 0:38:20'could end up falling through the mental health gap.'
0:38:25 > 0:38:28I'm heading to the Lake District in Cumbria
0:38:28 > 0:38:31with some of the people I've met making this documentary,
0:38:31 > 0:38:34who, like me, feel they've not been given the therapy they wanted
0:38:34 > 0:38:36on the NHS.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40With written permission from each of our GPs,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43we'll be attending a mindfulness course,
0:38:43 > 0:38:46a new form of therapy which has been approved for use by the NHS
0:38:46 > 0:38:50to treat depression and anxiety, but is very rarely prescribed.
0:38:52 > 0:38:53I'm really intrigued.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55I've never actually done anything like this before.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57I'm quite excited about it
0:38:57 > 0:39:00and I'm kind of hoping that something really good comes out of it.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03It'd be nice to actually have those 20 minutes of relaxation
0:39:03 > 0:39:06before bedtime, just so I can actually sleep
0:39:06 > 0:39:09and just to understand the way my mind works a bit better.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12I'm hoping that mindfulness will just give me a chance
0:39:12 > 0:39:15to shut my thoughts for a little bit, clear my head,
0:39:15 > 0:39:18and just give me a little bit of sense of inner peace.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Supporters of mindfulness
0:39:24 > 0:39:27say it can benefit those with mental health problems,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30so it'll be interesting to find out if any of us find it useful.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36Oh, wow, look at this.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Amazing. How are you guys all feeling?
0:39:42 > 0:39:45- Really excited now. - Looking forward to it, yeah.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49Right, guys, shall we go and check in? Cool.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54Mindfulness teacher Karen Todd, from Manchester,
0:39:54 > 0:39:56is running this weekend's course.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Mindfulness is all about breathing techniques,
0:39:58 > 0:40:01body-awareness meditations, all sort of different things
0:40:01 > 0:40:04that you can apply to your life straightaway.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06One of the best things about mindfulness, of course,
0:40:06 > 0:40:08is that it's a free service,
0:40:08 > 0:40:11so hopefully there are financial benefits for the NHS as well,
0:40:11 > 0:40:14in that, once people have learned the techniques,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17they can self-help themselves using those techniques.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23There's one person I still want to see
0:40:23 > 0:40:27who couldn't attend this weekend's mindfulness course.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36So, today I'm off to meet someone called Rachel.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Rachel suffers from anorexia.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44Anorexia actually has the highest mortality rate
0:40:44 > 0:40:46of all the psychiatric disorders.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50So it's vital that treatment is really effective.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56A recent report by the Royal College Of Psychiatrists
0:40:56 > 0:40:57says the UK is not doing enough
0:40:57 > 0:41:00to help people like Rachel who have eating disorders.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02- Hiya. Are you Rachel?- Hi, yeah.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Hi, I'm Jonny. How you doing?
0:41:04 > 0:41:08- Hi, Jonny, nice to meet you. - You all right?- I'm fine, thanks.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12'Rachel is 27 years old and lives on a farm in York.'
0:41:12 > 0:41:15These are some of the calves on the farm.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17These are a couple of months old.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19They are absolutely adorable, very noisy.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22It's lovely if you love animals.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25I certainly wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28It's absolutely ideal for me, definitely.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31'She's been anorexic since she was 10 years old,
0:41:31 > 0:41:33'and over the last 17 years.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36'her body has become permanently damaged..
0:41:36 > 0:41:40I've now developed an awful lot of medical problems,
0:41:40 > 0:41:42such as osteoporosis,
0:41:42 > 0:41:46and I can't have children,
0:41:46 > 0:41:51and I have palpitations, I have problems with my bloods at times,
0:41:51 > 0:41:53things like that.
0:41:53 > 0:41:58So now my whole life has completely changed.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03'Rachel is one of 1.6 million people in the UK
0:42:03 > 0:42:05'who have an eating disorder.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08'She has now become addicted to exercise.'
0:42:08 > 0:42:10So, on a typical day, how much exercise would you do?
0:42:10 > 0:42:14I do about three hours' worth of exercise a day.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16About two hours on this,
0:42:16 > 0:42:19and then another hour of sit-ups.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23If I don't exercise, it means I don't want to eat
0:42:23 > 0:42:26because it feels like I'm just going to get fat again.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36Over the past decade, Rachel has been in and out of hospital,
0:42:36 > 0:42:39but feels her treatment has always focused on weight gain
0:42:39 > 0:42:43rather than addressing her mental health.
0:42:43 > 0:42:49I've been to about seven specialised clinics and general hospital
0:42:49 > 0:42:50over the years.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53At one point it was about...
0:42:53 > 0:42:56I was literally coming out of hospital,
0:42:56 > 0:42:59have maybe about four weeks home, and go back into a different one.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02In my head, all I wanted to do was eat and get out.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06It wasn't about recovering, it wasn't about fixing things.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08So, at the point of being admitted,
0:43:08 > 0:43:11- you were promised you would have therapy?- Definitely.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14They said they would give me help with anxiety,
0:43:14 > 0:43:18they'd give me help with eating, they'd give me psychological help.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20Within the period of three months,
0:43:20 > 0:43:22I didn't get any help whatsoever.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26I felt almost like I was a problem to them,
0:43:26 > 0:43:28they were trying to get rid of me.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31'Ill health means Rachel spends a lot of time at home
0:43:31 > 0:43:34'helping run her mum's dog breeding business.'
0:43:34 > 0:43:35Oh, they're so cute!
0:43:35 > 0:43:38These are my passion. They give me distraction.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40- It gives me something to do.- Hello!
0:43:40 > 0:43:43But she feels that with the right treatment from the health service,
0:43:43 > 0:43:46life could be so much better.
0:43:46 > 0:43:51My version of recovery is getting by your day
0:43:51 > 0:43:53just without thinking about food,
0:43:53 > 0:43:59or just not feeling so awful about myself all the time.
0:43:59 > 0:44:03My version of recovery isn't being a BMI over 20.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06My version of recovery is just to be happy again.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11According to Dr Ranj Singh,
0:44:11 > 0:44:16the problem behind Rachel's poor care is simple - not enough money.
0:44:16 > 0:44:20Spending on mental health has fallen for the second year in a row.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23The tricky part of it is that everything requires funds.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25Everything requires it,
0:44:25 > 0:44:30and if mental health as a whole isn't funded adequately,
0:44:30 > 0:44:33all the services underneath the umbrella suffer.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36There are cuts happening everywhere,
0:44:36 > 0:44:39and because of that services are being changed,
0:44:39 > 0:44:43and thresholds are being changed, and referral criteria are changing.
0:44:43 > 0:44:47The people that suffer because of that
0:44:47 > 0:44:51are the patients that need the greatest care.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00'Back in the Lake District, we're learning mindfulness techniques
0:45:00 > 0:45:03'which may help us with our mental health.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07'The body scan is a form of meditation that can lower stress.'
0:45:07 > 0:45:12If you just take your awareness now to the top of your head
0:45:12 > 0:45:15and just notice what sensations are present there for you.
0:45:15 > 0:45:20'Chloe, who has bipolar, doesn't find the body scan helpful.'
0:45:20 > 0:45:23'I've had sort of mixed emotions about today.'
0:45:23 > 0:45:25The body scan was the thing that I think
0:45:25 > 0:45:27I really didn't engage with at all.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29My mind was wandering and I just couldn't bring it back.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32I couldn't get into that zone that I think you need to be in.
0:45:32 > 0:45:37'But the exercises had a powerful impact on both Nick and Emma.'
0:45:37 > 0:45:40'To have 15 minutes where I wasn't thinking about any of my rituals,
0:45:40 > 0:45:43'I wasn't concerned about'
0:45:43 > 0:45:45my mind going on and on and on at 100 miles an hour,
0:45:45 > 0:45:48it was really emotional for me afterwards.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50I very nearly did have a little cry to myself,
0:45:50 > 0:45:53just because it was that unreal, to have that kind of relief,
0:45:53 > 0:45:56that kind of relaxation that I didn't think was possible.
0:45:56 > 0:46:01It was really, really nice to sort of be able to relax
0:46:01 > 0:46:05and not have to rely on some kind of prescription tablet
0:46:05 > 0:46:07to do it for me.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12During a break from the course,
0:46:12 > 0:46:14I want to find out
0:46:14 > 0:46:17what everyone has made of their experience with the NHS.
0:46:17 > 0:46:22They have to remember that these are children, young people,
0:46:22 > 0:46:26that have... And it is scary, it really is scary.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30When you're young, you're not only going through puberty,
0:46:30 > 0:46:34your hormones are everywhere, but no-one believes you. No-one.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37Because you're like this, and everyone just says,
0:46:37 > 0:46:39"That's a teenage phase, you'll go through it."
0:46:39 > 0:46:44I spent the last three years trying to get myself back to a point
0:46:44 > 0:46:49where I can be even remotely like who I was.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51I don't know about you guys,
0:46:51 > 0:46:53- but I'm proud to say that I've done it on my own.- Yeah, definitely.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56If I'd have waited on them,
0:46:56 > 0:46:58I'd have been a goner a long time ago.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06As a result of her own experience,
0:47:06 > 0:47:08Kimberly is now reaching out to other teenagers
0:47:08 > 0:47:11who might be suffering the way she did.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14Like me, she's blogging about her mental illness.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16Using things like social media,
0:47:16 > 0:47:21you realise the scale of how many people are affected.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23I've talked to people
0:47:23 > 0:47:29who are in worse situations than me when I was 14
0:47:29 > 0:47:31and it's really sad to hear that that support wasn't there.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34I know that other people have enjoyed reading it,
0:47:34 > 0:47:37so hopefully it helps in making people realise they're not alone
0:47:37 > 0:47:41and that they're feeling the same things as what I am.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44I'd really like to try to make, even if it's a small difference,
0:47:44 > 0:47:45that's what I'd like to do.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51Someone else taking direct action is Rachel.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54She's on a mission to set up support for local eating disorder patients
0:47:54 > 0:47:56coming out of NHS hospitals.
0:47:56 > 0:48:00I've actually had three... Well, four friends die.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04Three because they haven't had adequate help with leaving hospital.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06They've gone from a unit,
0:48:06 > 0:48:08been discharged home,
0:48:08 > 0:48:10lost the weight and died at home.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12Today, she's going to find out
0:48:12 > 0:48:15if she can win official backing for her own charity.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18I've found that when I've told a lot of professionals
0:48:18 > 0:48:20about me wanting to do this,
0:48:20 > 0:48:24I've been told not to get involved in anything with eating disorders,
0:48:24 > 0:48:28that I should disassociate myself with the whole cause.
0:48:28 > 0:48:29That made me more determined.
0:48:29 > 0:48:34The local Council For Voluntary Service, or CVS,
0:48:34 > 0:48:37has the power to either make or break her dream.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39It's a body that helps start-ups
0:48:39 > 0:48:41and supports voluntary organisations.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44I'd like to be able to offer a confidential helpline
0:48:44 > 0:48:46providing both advice and support.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50I'd like to offer a range of groups that sufferers can access,
0:48:50 > 0:48:53such as body image classes, nutrition advice and support,
0:48:53 > 0:48:56cookery classes, relaxation, things like that.
0:48:56 > 0:49:00'If Gary and Natasha are convinced Rachel is on to something,
0:49:00 > 0:49:04'they will be able to provide financial support and guidance
0:49:04 > 0:49:06'to get her charity of the ground.'
0:49:06 > 0:49:09If you could start tomorrow, what's the thing you'd start doing?
0:49:09 > 0:49:12I suppose the helpline, I think.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16I looked into getting a separate landline,
0:49:16 > 0:49:19and that was about £100 or something like that.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21- To get it installed?- Yeah.
0:49:21 > 0:49:22When it comes to it,
0:49:22 > 0:49:25is this going to be you spending most of your time on this?
0:49:25 > 0:49:30It would be basically split between me and my mum, she's my carer.
0:49:30 > 0:49:32If you were to help more people through this service,
0:49:32 > 0:49:36the less readmissions there are into the system.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40By the end of the meeting, Rachel proves she has an impressive idea.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43We'll do you a bit of, like, an action plan
0:49:43 > 0:49:45of things that we think are, like, the next step.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48That's fantastic. Thank you very much.
0:49:48 > 0:49:50The one thing that you need to make things happen
0:49:50 > 0:49:52is drive and enthusiasm,
0:49:52 > 0:49:54- and you seem to have plenty of that.- Definitely.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58'Receiving backing from those who can make her dream become reality
0:49:58 > 0:50:01'is a huge boost to her confidence.'
0:50:01 > 0:50:06'It's really pleased me that they both seem to be very interested'
0:50:06 > 0:50:08in the project,
0:50:08 > 0:50:11and they think that it is something that is needed out there.
0:50:11 > 0:50:13I'm really happy.
0:50:17 > 0:50:18I've travelled the country,
0:50:18 > 0:50:20meeting people with a shared anger
0:50:20 > 0:50:23towards their mental health treatment from the NHS.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28I've talked to Chloe and Kimberly about the failures
0:50:28 > 0:50:32in the Child And Adolescent Mental Health Service...
0:50:32 > 0:50:36Nick, let down by his former GP...
0:50:36 > 0:50:38Elliott and Rachel,
0:50:38 > 0:50:41frustrated by lack of access to therapy...
0:50:41 > 0:50:45and Christopher and Emma, who were failed by A&E.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47I've now come to central government
0:50:47 > 0:50:51to put their concerns to the man in charge of mental health,
0:50:51 > 0:50:53the new Care Minister, Norman Lamb.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57NICE guidelines do say that when someone turns up at A&E
0:50:57 > 0:50:59and they've self-harmed or attempted suicide,
0:50:59 > 0:51:01they should be given a psychosocial assessment.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04Yet this is only happening to half of all cases.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07Many A&E departments,
0:51:07 > 0:51:10there's no real access to psychiatric support.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14I've had a case in my own constituency very recently
0:51:14 > 0:51:18of a mother who's lost her son, aged 27, to suicide.
0:51:18 > 0:51:23He turned up at A&E with ligature marks on his neck,
0:51:23 > 0:51:26was discharged with some advice,
0:51:26 > 0:51:28and took his own life the next day.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31A complete failure of the system.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34Do you feel GPs are sufficiently trained in mental health,
0:51:34 > 0:51:38- particularly when it comes to young people?- No.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41It's a very patchy picture around the country.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45There are some brilliant GPs who get mental health,
0:51:45 > 0:51:48who've chosen to do the extra training,
0:51:48 > 0:51:51and therefore their patients get a great service.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55But in too many areas, there's an insufficient understanding.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58One of the things the Royal College Of GPs has argued for
0:51:58 > 0:52:01is an extra year of training for GPs,
0:52:01 > 0:52:04which would include a mental health element,
0:52:04 > 0:52:07a significant mental health element.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09I'm very positive about that
0:52:09 > 0:52:11and very keen that we actually get to the point
0:52:11 > 0:52:13where we can implement it,
0:52:13 > 0:52:15because I think it would make a real difference.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17Moving on to the area of CAMHS,
0:52:17 > 0:52:19in some parts of the country,
0:52:19 > 0:52:21the transition from CAMHS
0:52:21 > 0:52:25to the Adult Mental Health Service is quite poor.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28Why does this failure of communication
0:52:28 > 0:52:30between the two services exist?
0:52:30 > 0:52:33It is completely unacceptable,
0:52:33 > 0:52:37and I want to look at how we can achieve a much more seamless service
0:52:37 > 0:52:39or transition for people.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43But there is no excuse for services coming to an end
0:52:43 > 0:52:46and people being left high and dry,
0:52:46 > 0:52:50as I understand is the experience far too often.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53I've met and filmed with six young people,
0:52:53 > 0:52:56and the family of a seventh who took his life,
0:52:56 > 0:52:59that all feel severely failed by the mental health service.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01These are not isolated cases.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03What is your message to them
0:53:03 > 0:53:06about the state of the mental health service?
0:53:06 > 0:53:12My message to them is that I agree with them on their frustration,
0:53:12 > 0:53:17their irritation, and I'm sure their anger, at the failure of the system.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19I'd like to meet with them,
0:53:19 > 0:53:22if they're up for it,
0:53:22 > 0:53:27because I share their determination to change things.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32'The Care Minister believes the way to solve the problem
0:53:32 > 0:53:35'is to give equal status to mental and physical illness,
0:53:35 > 0:53:38'which he's just done through the new Health And Social Care Act.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41'But I'm worried that without financial backing,
0:53:41 > 0:53:43'things will never change.'
0:53:43 > 0:53:44Spending on mental health
0:53:44 > 0:53:47- has decreased for the second year in a row.- Yeah.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49But you say it's a priority.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52That, in a way, demonstrates my point. There is this bias.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56That's why I am keen to get a greater equilibrium in the system,
0:53:56 > 0:53:58so that people with mental health problems
0:53:58 > 0:54:01get the same rights, and that will force commissioners to think,
0:54:01 > 0:54:05"Well, we've got to spend money on that as well."
0:54:05 > 0:54:07But we've now got to hold the system to account.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09We've set the priority,
0:54:09 > 0:54:12now the system has to deliver that.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14Sounds good.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17But will it really result in more spending on mental health?
0:54:17 > 0:54:20I just hope Norman Lamb sees these commitments through
0:54:20 > 0:54:24to avoid future failures for young people with mental illness.
0:54:28 > 0:54:32We're approaching the end of our mindfulness course,
0:54:32 > 0:54:35a form of therapy which is approved for use by the NHS
0:54:35 > 0:54:37but is rarely prescribed.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42This is called the mountain meditation.
0:54:42 > 0:54:46This is a pure relaxation meditation.
0:54:46 > 0:54:51'This simple exercise provides Kimberly with a breakthrough moment
0:54:51 > 0:54:54'in coping with her severe anxiety.'
0:54:54 > 0:54:56That worked wonders for me. I absolutely loved that.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58It was really nice to feel my heart rate actually lower
0:54:58 > 0:55:01and I'm not like "Huh," all the time.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03- Yeah.- It was amazing.
0:55:03 > 0:55:04I feel really good.
0:55:04 > 0:55:08- I know that sounds really daft, but I feel really good!- It really does.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10It is finally like I can see myself
0:55:10 > 0:55:13being able to do that every single day.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15'It's a great end to what has been
0:55:15 > 0:55:17'a really positive experience for me.'
0:55:17 > 0:55:20Quite sad to be leaving, to be honest.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23Feel I've gained a lot myself in the last few days.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25Definitely going to miss
0:55:25 > 0:55:28not just the mindfulness but everyone here.
0:55:28 > 0:55:32It feels like I've gained some really good friends.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35I will never be rid of my mental illness,
0:55:35 > 0:55:37but I have learned to manage it
0:55:37 > 0:55:41through cognitive behavioural techniques and mindfulness.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45I'm determined to continue to help others with my online videos,
0:55:45 > 0:55:48which are now watched by people from all over the world.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52It's been quite inspirational, actually, meeting all of you,
0:55:52 > 0:55:55individually, and coming here together,
0:55:55 > 0:55:57and I think it's a real privilege as well for me
0:55:57 > 0:56:00to have got to know all of you.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03I'm going to miss you all. Thank you.
0:56:03 > 0:56:04Hugs!
0:56:04 > 0:56:07- Group hug.- Group hugs, group hugs.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14Let's hope the new Health And Social Care Act
0:56:14 > 0:56:17results in more being spent on mental illness
0:56:17 > 0:56:20by the newly formed NHS commissioning bodies.
0:56:20 > 0:56:21But young people like us
0:56:21 > 0:56:24will have to see a real change in our treatment
0:56:24 > 0:56:26to know the new act is working
0:56:26 > 0:56:30and that we are finally getting the mental health care we all deserve.
0:56:35 > 0:56:40Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd