Mental Health and the NHS

Hi All,

Wondering if someone can help me understand something. DH is a UKC as are his sons. DH has his own insurance through his work. His eldest son is turning 15 but has the bone age of a 12 year old.

Son has been to see a specialist once and is going again this Thursday. Son is also very depressed because he's being bullied at school over his height issues. I asked DH if he could get his son in to see a Psychologist for some counseling, to help him get some tools to help work through these issues. DH says that it's not covered by insurance that depression is "not a medical condition."

Would this really be the case? DH said "There may be insurance policies that cover it but they are more expensive and mine does not." I just find this shocking. The other thing that really bothers me is that DH said "the specialist (for the height issues) won't want to hear every sob story (about son being bullied) but he's going to hear about this.

Are medical professionals really like that over there, or is it just DH's take on the situation. I think this must be a cultural thing that they don't push for care like we do?

Thoughts???

There may be an element to it being a cultural thing, in that secondary insurance doesn't work in the same way that primary insurance does in the US.  He may be correct in that his policy doesn't cover mental health treatment, but you would have to read the policy to be sure.  Depression and other mental health problems are definitely covered by the NHS and by some secondary insurance policies.  Your step son's GP would be the best person to get information from for next steps.

It could also be a personal stigma your husband sees against mental health treatment and he is just using insurance as his shield not to go any further.  That may be harder to work around.

Yes, as karin said, the NHS covers treatment for depression, so I'm not sure why that wouldn't be your first step.

Not to be an alarmist, but this is a teen suffering from depression and being bullied, which makes for a higher suicide risk. Mental health issues are not something to be ignored.

A teenager needs all the help he can get, and the NHS is the place to start. My own DH had treatment for depression years ago on the NHS.

Yes, as karin said, the NHS covers treatment for depression, so I'm not sure why that wouldn't be your first step.

Yes - one time a few years ago when I went to my NHS GP for a repeat prescription, I mentioned that I had been feeling depressed recently and he immediately whipped out a questionnaire to fill out to determine if it was bad enough to need treatment  (apparently it wasn't and that was the end of that - I decided not to press the issue - but if it had been, I believe he would have suggested treatment of some kind).

His mum is a nursing student and asked him a lot of questions and he said he was not suicidal. Just depressed. I think dh has a cultural stigma and complete lack of understanding about depression in general. I will push him to talk to the GP to see what options are out there. I think he's making quite a few assumptions without actually looking into it. And I don't think he knows what questions to ask.

I think step son just needs to talk to someone not emotionally involved to help him get the tools to deal with not only the bullying but the height issues as well.

Definitely get him someone to talk to. I think things have changed a bit since I was here last, but I know when my GP wanted me to speak to someone back in 2007, I had to find my own, and pay for it out of pocket. I just looked on the NHS website and this is what it says there.
"If your GP or another healthcare professional refers you to a qualified counsellor, you will receive counselling through the NHS free of charge.
However, talking therapies such as counselling are not always available on the NHS, and you may need to have private treatment. A private 50-minute session can cost £40-100."
It appears they made changes in 2010 as I don't recall them being any options on the NHS back in 2007.

Seeing a counsellor is nothing to be ashamed about and not seeking help is dangerous. Good luck.

Some useful links, I hope, for resources:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Depression/Pages/Treatment.aspx
http://www.bullying.co.uk/
http://www.childline.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Yourchildshealthandsafety/WorriedAbout/DG_10015788

Please get help. he doesn't need to feel like this. But he needs a space where he feels safe, for sure.  ((Hugs))

I suspect the GP would refer him to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services).  It is free, and provides mental health treatment for children and adolescents.  How good the treatment is kind of depends from area to area.  I've worked in some areas where there is really good help and some where it's hit and miss with kids.  People are very afraid of mental health stigmas here, and they often don't like to "slap a label" on them while they are young.  In many areas they are the first stop for helping teenagers who are struggling.  Check with the local offices to see what their referral policy is.  Some can self-refer, some will need a professional like a GP, school nurse, or social worker.

Another group that is good for support and information is MIND: http://www.mind.org.uk/

Thanks all. I'll look over those links later tonight at work. Cadenza, my dh mentioned that CAMHS and he said his ex (the nurse-to-be) said that the one in Eastbourne was not very good.

Stepson saw the growth specialist today and he is growing according to plan, so there is some change there no matter how slowly it's going. It made stepson happy to hear it so I hope that will give him some relief. Now to get some skills to deal with the other kids. DH noticed bruises on son's arms last night and son said it was from "a punching game". But son was not happy to talk about it. Of course, that could be a kid not wanting to talk to his parents either I suppose.

I'm trying to figure out ways to help build his self confidence as well. He's not active in any sport, very much a book-worm. So it's a challenge to find something for him to be interested in. When I am finally there, I hope to introduce him to horses (something I've been in for 30 years) and maybe that will spark his interest a bit. They are very therapeutic, great exercise for the rider and confidence building as well. I don't plan on saying "give this a try", rather, I hope to invite him out when I go to the barn and maybe by being around them he'll get some interest. We shall see....

Hi All,

Wondering if someone can help me understand something. DH is a UKC as are his sons. DH has his own insurance through his work. His eldest son is turning 15 but has the bone age of a 12 year old.

Son has been to see a specialist once and is going again this Thursday. Son is also very depressed because he's being bullied at school over his height issues. I asked DH if he could get his son in to see a Psychologist for some counseling, to help him get some tools to help work through these issues. DH says that it's not covered by insurance that depression is "not a medical condition."

Would this really be the case? DH said "There may be insurance policies that cover it but they are more expensive and mine does not." I just find this shocking. The other thing that really bothers me is that DH said "the specialist (for the height issues) won't want to hear every sob story (about son being bullied) but he's going to hear about this.

Are medical professionals really like that over there, or is it just DH's take on the situation. I think this must be a cultural thing that they don't push for care like we do?

Thoughts???

Contact Mind for advice on getting access to mental health services offered by charities, of which there are several. There may be a small fee for consultations but it would probably be less than the excess on an insurance policy anyway: www.mind.org.uk.

It is also worthwhile speaking to the boy's local Educational Psychology unit.

He's not active in any sport, very much a book-worm. So it's a challenge to find something for him to be interested in. When I am finally there, I hope to introduce him to horses (something I've been in for 30 years) and maybe that will spark his interest a bit. They are very therapeutic, great exercise for the rider and confidence building as well. I don't plan on saying "give this a try", rather, I hope to invite him out when I go to the barn and maybe by being around them he'll get some interest. We shall see....

Good for him being a book worm! Perhaps if more athletes read a book occasionally...

That being said, exercise/fitness is important, but it doesn't have to be football or rugby. I worked on a grant application once for this group who used horses as rehabilitation for those with muscle disease and apparently riding, as well as the upkeep functions (brushing/cleaning), provides great core toning and posture strengthening. 

Then there's martial arts, swimming, running....these things can be life-long pursuits he can use to stay fit and healthy while he's writing his next best seller....