A NEW support service for those suffering a mental health crisis is to open in Blackburn helping to ease pressure on hospitals.

The Acute Therapy Service will offer a safe and therapeutic environment for those suffering low mood, emotional and behavioural dysregulation and who are deemed a risk of suicide or self-harm.

Run by Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, it will offer a psychologically led, skills based programme based on the principles of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).

The service in Whalley Banks in Duckworth Street, will support between six and eight people at a time who are known to community mental health care teams.

Although based on individual need, help will usually be available for around six days.

It comes after a new report from patient watchdog Healthwatch Lancashire found an estimated 15,025 of five to 16-year-olds in the county have mental health disorders, with the highest proportion in NHS East Lancashire.

The report, which captured people’s views about ‘Access to mental health services’ in the county and the issues they face, also found that 62 per cent of people they surveyed said the information on mental health and services is ‘not accessible and helpful.’

Angela O’Brien, consultant clinical psychologist at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “There is an increasing demand on mental health services in Lancashire and as part of this we have been working hard to determine what services are needed to ensure people are supported as much as possible.

“The service has been designed to provide a safe environment for those in mental health crisis through an individually assessed, psychologically structured programme."

The service offers a number of evidence based interventions in addition to practical, occupational, nursing and social support.

She said referrals in to the Acute Therapy Services can be made by community mental health teams, crisis and home treatment teams and inpatient mental health services.

They must be made as an alternative to hospital admissions or to help with early discharge.

Russ McLean, chairman of Pennine Lancashire Patients Voices Group, said this ‘was not before time’.

He said: “There has not been parity between those with physical and those with mental health issues so I’m pleased they are putting money and resources into this.

“Something like four out of 10 people who present at A&E have mental health problems. They are brought in by police officers which means officers and clinical staff are tied up with them until the mental health team are able to come and they themselves are under a huge amount of strain.”

Referrals can be made by telephone on 01254 612624.