Professional life in child and adolescent mental health services may be getting more complicated, but cases are not

Abstract

Aims and method In 2006, staff in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in Lincolnshire, UK, felt that cases were becoming increasingly complex. The Pearce Case Complexity Scale (PCCS) and a staff opinions questionnaire were used to measure subjective and objective changes in case complexity in a relatively stable CAMHS service over a 10-year period from 1996 to 2006, with data examined between 2008 and 2010. Results Clinicians reported an increase in case complexity over time. However, the PCCS did not show a significant change in the decade studied. Clinical implications Staff anxiety could be a determinant of judgements they make about case complexity in CAMHS.