More than one million children in England were referred to mental health services last year, while one in 10 is now facing a diagnosis, according to a new report.
Figures for 2024-25 show referrals for children and young people have nearly doubled compared with 2018-19, underlining the growing pressure on support services.
Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner who led the report, warned that England is dealing with a “crisis” in young people’s mental health.
She said: “There is no disguising the fact the figures in this report are stark.”
The report found that referrals rose by 10 per cent in the past year alone, adding further strain to a system already struggling to keep pace. More than a third of children are waiting years to receive treatment.
Active referrals cover children who were referred, were waiting for support, or received treatment during the period examined. The figures do not include children who were already in treatment.
Anxiety continues to be the leading reason young people seek help, making up 16 per cent of all referrals. Meanwhile, referrals linked to suspected autism increased by almost 50 per cent in just one year.
Other neurodevelopmental conditions, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), also saw referrals rise by nearly a quarter, with children in these groups often facing the longest waits for support.
‘These are not just numbers, but children whose lives have been put on hold for months and, in some cases, years waiting for support they urgently need,’ said Dame Rachel.
‘While there have been some encouraging signs, with more children receiving support last year, it is hard to ignore the colossal challenge facing mental health services, as demand outpaces system capacity and funding.’
The data – obtained from NHS England – suggests the number of children waiting for an autism diagnosis has seen the biggest increase, with 96,393 children and young people receiving a referral in the one-year period.
Neurodevelopmental conditions excluding autism made up 13 per cent of cases, with children under the age of 10 more likely to be referred.
Fewer than one in five went on to receive treatment in 2024-25, however.
The authors stressed that rising numbers of diagnoses do not necessarily imply a rise in prevalence of these conditions.
Instead, they wrote, increased awareness of neurodevelopmental disorders could simply mean more parents and young people are coming forward.
The report’s authors also claimed that ‘rising distress’ among young people was a key driver of demand, with the ‘medicalisation’ of stress leading to more diagnoses.
Almost two-thirds of British teenagers could be diagnosed with a mental health condition by 2030 figures suggest
Previous research by the Royal College of Nurses highlighted that young people in the midst of a mental health crisis often face spending three days in A&E before being given a bed in a specialist unit.
In response, Minesh Patel – the associate director for evidence, advocacy and performance at mental health charity, Mind – told the Guardian: ‘The scale of demand and the unmet need set out in this report is deeply concerning.
‘With many waiting months or years for support, the system is clearly struggling to respond to the mental health challenges that young people are experiencing.’
He added: ‘The longer young people go without good quality mental health support, the more unwell they can become, increasing the likelihood of needing to access support from crisis and A&E services.’
Experts say they worry that any deterioration in a child or young person’s mental health could have a serious impact on their future.
‘The way we look to support young people’s mental health must change – we cannot address mental health alone in isolation; improving children’s wellbeing requires action across government,’ said Dame Rachel.
‘At the same time, there must be a shift in how we approach children’s mental health with greater focus on joined up services across health, education and social care to ensure children are getting the help they need in schools and the community.
‘Only then will we stop asking ‘What is wrong?’, but rather ‘How can we help?”.
A government spokesperson told the Daily Mail its record investment of £16.1 billion in NHS mental health services this year should help alleviate the burden and ensure more children get the support they need.
‘We are developing a cross-government Mental Health Strategy for England that will transform mental health care into a system that responds earlier, reduces waiting times for support, intervenes earlier and helps people to stay active and participate in education, work, family and community life,’ they said.
‘On top of this, our once-in-a-generation SEND reforms will bring specialist support directly into schools, to train every teacher to better support SEND, and give mainstream settings the expertise and resources they need to meet children’s needs earlier and more effectively.’
