The care of young people with mental health issues is suffering when the time comes for them to move to adult services in England, an inquiry says.
The Healthcare safety investigation branch (HSIB) stated many young people experienced a difficult transition from child to adult care at exactly the time when they were most vulnerable.
Its document recommended a more flexible technique to entering into adult services rather of having the cut-off at 18.
Every year 25,000 make this transition.
But as adult services frequently have unique thresholds for providing help, delays can take place or young people can lose their help altogether.
The HSIB - a new body set up to carry out no-blame investigations to help the NHS learn from mistakes - recommended a much broader window so transition could take place gradually up to the age of 25.
The research was sparked by the suicide of an 18-year-old shortly after shifting from child to adult mental health services.
It said the young guy have been let down, together with his infant mental health service hampered by the stress to pass him directly to adult care.
The findings have been backed via the ones who have experienced the system.
'life on adult ward was horrifying'
Tee spent years in a mental health clinic in Northampton whilst her transition from child to adult services went wrong.
She was self-harming whilst she was young and began getting help whilst she was 14.
Within 3 years, the manner of transferring to adult care started.
However there was a year delay before she got assist, by which point she needed to be admitted underneath the mental health Act after taking an overdose.
She describes her time on an adult ward as "very horrifying".
She has since recovered properly and is now working part-time in a restaurant.
"I've lots greater fantastic days than days I find tough," she says.
However she still does not understand why the system has this kind of sharp cut-off.
"Eighteen is the sort of vulnerable age," she says. "I do not know why it is like this. Something must be done."
HSIB chief investigator Keith Conradi stated: "that is a completely critical problem.
"Many younger people nonetheless do not have a fantastic experience and, as a result, disengage from services."
Sean Duggan, of the mental health network, which represents services, stated the health service was aware there had been issues that needed to be addressed.
"Sufferers ought to be at the centre of all our service," he added.
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