Since the pandemic, feelings of uncertainty, isolation and anxiety have risen in young people, causing a huge increase in the demand for mental health services. With this surge in cases, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) has been left unable to cope and its current structure has exasperated waiting times, extending the period in which children are left without support. The diagnosis process is one contributor to this waiting time, and our animation hopes to address this.
Already in a state of overwhelm, children and their family can struggle to comprehend the triage stage in which a patient’s risk level is assessed. Our animation was created to take this complicated and time-consuming process and help people to understand it while they wait for support. Not only can this speed up the timeframe between reaching out for support and receiving it, but it can shed light on a patient’s problems while they wait.
Both CAMHS and The Titan Awards have recognized the importance of alternative forms of support. Animation is a cost-effective and creative way to reduce waiting times, simplify complex processes, and represent difficult emotions in a way that’s easy to relate to and understand. Our animation “Accessing CAMHS” explains the four tiers of CAMHS’ service, provides step-by-step instructions on how to access healthcare, and offers a helpline which can easily be localized for each trust in the UK.
The animation is free to use, and we aim for it to be rolled out across all trusts in the UK as part of their diagnostic process. The animation can be shared easily and reach out to children in environments they feel comfortable in, whether that’s on their phone or on social media. We are incredibly grateful to The Titan Awards for recognizing this vital animation, and hope that it drastically reduces waiting times and helps patients and their families feel less alone.
If you would like to learn more, feel free to contact us at hello@shootyou.co.uk.
