Children in Fife are reaching crisis point as they wait more than a year for mental health treatment.
Sixty-one youngsters in the region waited more than 12 months for help after they were referred to specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) last year.
The longest wait endured was 542 days – more than a year and a half.
North East Fife Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain has branded the figures “appalling” and said children in the region were being badly let down.
“These appalling waiting times mean problems that start small are turning into crises,” she said.
“Young people needing help in our area are being put to the back of one of the longest queues in the country.
“Sadly, we see our hardworking NHS staff and resources being stretched to breaking point every day. This is nowhere more evident than in mental health services. Staff were promised an integrated workforce plan by the health secretary but it’s a year late.”
The Scottish Government agreed the figures were unacceptable but said £250 million was being invested to support children’s mental health.
Official figures released last month showed just 64.5% of children referred to CAMHS in Scotland in the three months to September were seen within the 18-week target.
In Fife, the figure was higher at 75.2% but below the 80% treated on target during the previous quarter.
Mrs Chamberlain said mental health should be treated with the same urgency as physical health and called for proper investment and planning.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are absolutely clear that long waits for children and young people to access mental health treatment are unacceptable.
“We’re undertaking an ambitious programme of work to improve performance in mental health waiting times across Scotland and support early intervention in community settings and across the third sector, local government and the NHS.
“This includes £250m to support positive mental health for children and young people, in addition to £58m over four years specifically to improve access to CAMHS and psychological therapies.”
Fife Health and Social Care Partnership declined to comment on the latest waiting times figures but has previously discussed action, including training school nurses and guidance teachers to support young people in the early stages of distress.
