Integrated Mental Health and Epilepsy Care Pilot

The Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership is one of the pilot sites to deliver a key piece of work around the links between epilepsy and mental health in children and young people living in our area.

Research shows that children and young people with epilepsy more likely to have mental health conditions than the general population and those with other long-term conditions.37% of children and young people with epilepsy have mental health issues.

This pilot project will run up until March 2025 and is designed to look at gathering evidence on how integrated mental health and wellbeing support can be provided in outpatient services as well as improving access to early intervention and support.

As part of this pilot work is planned to:

  1. Implement mental health screening tools in epilepsy clinics across the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership
  2. Identify relevant self-help material and voluntary sector and community sector support organisations across the ICB
  3. Develop new referral pathways into mental health services, including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), across Humber and North Yorkshire
  4. Psychosocial group for adolescents running at different sites across Humber and North Yorkshire
  5. Online regular Parent/ carer workshops
  6. Specific intervention for anxiety, depression and behavioural problems

If you are interested in finding out more about the pilot or how it might link into the services you provide please contact:

Dr Gemma Hartley – Paediatric Clinical Psychologist, York Hospital [email protected];

Katie Ward – CYP Long-term Conditions Lead (ICB) [email protected])

Gemma and Katie are keen to talk to any organisation working with children and young people and their families/ carers and not just those working around mental health and epilepsy support.