Two cheers for Theresa May’s discovery of child and adolescent mental health

The UK prime minister’s recent discovery of the crisis facing services for child and adolescent mental health has been widely welcomed. In her first speech of 2017—thought by some to be intended to draw attention away from the more comprehensive row about the state of the National Health Service—Theresa May declared that “By 2021 no child will be sent away from their local area to receive treatment for mental health issues.”1 She went on to commit the government to put in place the relevant training for schools and classroom teachers, a Care Quality Commission review of services, and a sharper focus on …