Mental Health Inpatient Census 2025 - Parts 1 and 2
Annual publication of data collected in the Inpatient Census covering patients in mental health, addiction and learning disability beds who are funded by NHS Scotland at a point in time.
5. Children and Young People treated in NHS Scotland facilities (additional detail)
This section looks at patients in the census aged under 18, regardless of whether they receive Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). It is not possible to provide further breakdowns of these figures into categories as the number of patients is low, so only high-level information is presented.
Patients aged under 18
Patients under 18 are mainly treated in Regional Services located in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, NHS Lothian, and NHS Tayside. There were 52 available beds in wards across these services at the 2025 census.
- In the 2025 census, there were 51 patients aged under 18.
- 23 patients were aged 15 or under, and 28 were aged 16 to 17.
- 44 out of the 51 patients were in either a Children’s Unit or Young Person’s unit.
- 39 (76%) patients aged under 18 were referred by a Community Mental Health Service.
- 59% of patients under 18 were female.
- 96% of patients under 18 were admitted by a consultant who specialized in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
- 92% of patients under 18 were seen by a consultant who specialized in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the time of the census.
The average (median) number of days since admission at the time of the census was 47 days. 22% of patients under 18 had been in the hospital for less than 2 weeks at the 2025 census.
Patients’ conditions were recorded at the time of the census. There were 22 patients under 18 with a diagnosis of a Behavioural Syndrome, 21 patients with a diagnosis of Autism, and 9 patients with a diagnosis of Neurotic Stress. Other diagnoses were recorded for small numbers of patients. Patients can have more than one condition.