The following is a news story from Hafal’s Big Lottery-funded Young People’s Information Hub. To access the Hub please visit: http://www.hafal.org/hafal/yp_index.php.
A mother whose teenage daughter was diagnosed with anorexia will present a petition to the Welsh Government this month asking for a specialist eating disorder service for young people in Wales.
Helen Missen’s daughter, Sophie, was referred to a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) after being diagnosed when she was 15.
Mrs Missen told the BBC that CAMHS were helpful but that over time Sophie would have been better helped by receiving specialised treatment for her particular eating disorder. Mrs Missen eventually had to seek help outside Wales and the NHS for her daughter.
The Welsh Government told the BBC there was no timetable for a service but close links had developed with mental health teams.
For more information on this story please visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18755034
To read an account of how Hafal’s award-winning volunteer Leanne Kelly was treated for her anorexia please visit: http://www.hafal.org/hafal/pdf/English_12_Lives.pdf