Child Psychotherapy

HC Deb 09 January 1996 vol 269 cc67-8W

Mr. Callaghan

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many child psychotherapy advisers are currently employed in his Department. [7739]

Mr. Horam

The Department maintains close contact with the child psychotherapy bodies but does not employ any child psychotherapy advisers.

Mr. Callaghan

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many qualified child psychotherapists are practising in the United Kingdom(a) by health authority and (b) in the inner cities. [7740]

Mr. Malone

The table shows the number of qualified child psychotherapists employed by the national health service in England by regional health authority area. Separate information on child psychotherapists employed in inner cities is not available centrally.

NHS hospitals and community health services qualified child psychotherapists—England by region as at 30 September 1994
Whole-time equivalents
	Qualified child psychotherapists
England total	220
Northern and Yorkshire	10
Trent	20
Anglia and Oxford	10
North Thames	80
South Thames	30
South and West	30
West Midlands	1—
North-West	10
Special health authorities	20

Notes:

¹Denotes figures of five and under.

1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 whole-time equivalent.

Source:

Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Information relating to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Mr. Callaghan

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which preventive psychotherapeutic work with young people is likely to reduce the risk of adolescent violence and drug taking. [7738]

Mr. Bowis

Several studies have shown that boys who exhibit aggressive and anti-social behaviour have an increased risk of later alcoholism and drug taking. Cognitive behavioural therapy has shown promise in reducing the duration of a disorder in the treatment of conduct and oppositional disorders which may or may not involve aggressive behaviour. Other psychotherapeutic treatment approaches may be relevant if the aggressive behaviour is associated with another disorder with a specific approach. The age of the young person, the appropriateness of family involvement in the treatment and other individual factors will all play a part in determining the best course of action.