Why decline in children’s mental health is ‘biggest challenge of our time’

Mental health services are “struggling to keep pace and meet the individual needs of children and young people”, leading charities have warned

A number of leading charities have issued a stark warning about the declining mental health of children and young people.

A new report from mental health organisations reveals that rates of emotional distress among young people have "risen sharply in recent years," placing their mental health under "unprecedented strain."

The study also indicates the UK "lags behind" comparable nations in young people's life satisfaction.

It adds that the mental health of young people and children is "one of the biggest challenges of our time."

Furthermore, the UK is identified as a "notable outlier" in both the surge in mental health needs and the increasing number of young people not in education, employment, or training (Neet).

Rates of diagnosable mental illness are also escalating dramatically.

But mental health services are “struggling to keep pace and meet the individual needs of children and young people”, the authors wrote.

“Many face long waits or are turned away from specialist care, while early support is often unavailable or insufficient,” they add.

The authors say that thousands go without timely support, while many others receive care that “fail to address the drivers of their poor mental health”.

The new report from Future Minds – led by the Centre for Mental Health, Centre for Young Lives, the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition and YoungMinds, with support from the Prudence Trust – has set out a “road-map” to help the Government “turn the tide” for young people.

Thousands of children are going without timely support, while many others receive care that “fail to address the drivers of their poor mental health” (PA Wire)

It highlights how the Government’s three shifts for health reform – from hospital to community; from analogue to digital and from sickness to prevention – have “critical applicability in youth mental health”.

This includes: using digital tools and AI to widen access to care and reduce waiting times; adopting an approach which embeds wellbeing support in schools, youth services and families; and stabilising inpatient and specialist services while investing toward earlier community-based care.

The report was released alongside the results from a Mumsnet survey of 1,009 users of the website which found that 77 per cent are concerned about their child’s mental health, with 29 per cent saying they are “very concerned”.

The most common mental health issue parents reported among their children was anxiety; followed by self-esteem or confidence issues; stress related to school or exams; behavioural issues and depression or low mood.

Andy Bell, chief executive of Centre for Mental Health, said: “The mental health of children and young people is under unprecedented strain.

“It is disrupting education, limiting future employment, driving up public service costs, and threatening the UK’s long-term prosperity.

“Too little is done to prevent mental health problems in childhood.

“Too many children face long waits or are turned away from specialist care, while early support is often patchy or unavailable.

“Too little is done to prevent mental health problems in childhood,” Centre for Mental Health said (Getty/iStock)

“Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting now have a historic opportunity to reverse this crisis. Transforming children’s mental health must sit at the heart of the Government’s moral mission to change the course for this generation.”

Connie Muttock, head of policy at the Centre for Young Lives, added: “The UK is the European leader of youth unhappiness, with poor mental health in childhood reaching unprecedented heights, the consequences of which will ripple through generations to come.

“Parents and children are crying out for help and to find services and the Government is not yet doing enough to reform the system.

“This road-map gives them the solutions needed to turn the tide on this growing crisis.”

Justine Roberts, founder and executive chair of Mumsnet, said: “Parents are doing everything possible to support their children, often at significant personal cost, but they are battling a failing system.

“It is vital that the Government acts to reform children’s mental health provision and provide the support that families urgently need.”

The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.