Depression treatment for young people

Depression in children and young people is often missed or misread as ordinary teenage behaviour. One in five children and young people aged 8 to 25 has a probable mental health disorder (NHS England Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey, 2023), and depression is among the most common. Left without support, it compounds: school absence rises, friendships break down, and the gap between the young person and their peers widens.

Blip is a private specialist mental health service for children and young adults aged 7 to 25. Every case has a named clinician, a consultant psychiatrist available for assessment, and a multidisciplinary team that reviews the case weekly.

How depression presents in children and young people

Depression in young people does not always look like sadness. These signs are worth taking seriously, particularly where several are present at once:

• Persistent low mood lasting more than two weeks
• Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed
• Withdrawing from friends and family
• Changes in sleep: sleeping much more or having difficulty sleeping
• Changes in appetite or weight
• Fatigue and low energy that does not improve with rest
• Difficulty concentrating at school or work
• Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
• Irritability or agitation, especially in younger children
• Talk of hopelessness, or feeling that things will not get better

How Blip assesses and treats depression

The clinical assessment establishes the severity and nature of the depression: whether it is mild, moderate, or severe; what co-occurring difficulties are present; and what the young person’s circumstances are at home, in school, and socially. NICE guidance is clear that severity should be formally assessed, not estimated.

For those aged 16 and over, progress is measured using the CORE-10, a validated clinical outcome measure for common mental health difficulties. For younger children and adolescents, the SDQ (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) is used alongside the RCADS. Scores are taken at assessment, at weeks 6 and 12, and at discharge.

Treatment draws on CBT and, where relevant, family therapy. Where there is clinical complexity, the consultant psychiatrist joins the case for formulation and, if appropriate, a psychiatric assessment. No medication decisions are made without psychiatric input.

Every case is reviewed weekly by the full multidisciplinary team: consultant psychiatrist, senior CAMHS practitioners, occupational therapist, and family therapist. One clinician never manages a case alone.

Pathway timescales

1. 1Triage. Within 5 working days of referral
2. 2Initial assessment. Within 3 weeks
3. 3Care plan agreed. Within 1 week of assessment
4. 4Intervention begins. Within 2 weeks of care plan