Is mental health getting worse in children in the UK?
There is some truth in this, but the reality is more nuanced. While increasing numbers of children and young people are presenting with mental-health needs and being referred for support, this may also point to improved understanding and recognition of long-standing issues. Rather than a simple answer, the situation reflects a complex blend of factors — and that complexity is what child-service professionals are navigating every day.
What these numbers show us.
Some recent trends suggest that the situation is deteriorating
- Action for Children shares that there has been a 65% increase in children being admitted to general acutely medical wards due to mental health problems within England over the last ten years. The largest increase has been observed among girls aged 11-15 years, rising by 112%.
- The NSPCC believes that anxiety is currently the biggest issue children are worried about, resulting in 12,543 counselling sessions being held within a year on this topic, which is about a quarter of their mental health conversations.
- The Centre for Mental Health observed in a 2024 briefing document that there has been an increase in mental health problems among young people because mental health problems have risen “for most age groups.”
So yes, children are having more struggles.
However, a big question is how much is new and how much is just being identified earlier? This is because children, parents, schools, and professionals could very well be more aware of mental issues than they were ten years earlier.
Why is this occurring?
There is no one particular reason. More like a series of forces stacked on top of each other simultaneously.
- Socio-economic pressures
Impact on Urban Health illustrates how hardship is related to issues with mental health. Amounts of disrupted sleep, attention, and emotional sensitivity tend to increase among children with unstable housing, food insecurity, and/or overcrowded housing.
As stress within a family rises—because bills are higher, jobs are insecure, and neighbourhoods are dangerous—children inevitably pick up on this. - School, peers, and technology pressures
The academic demands have insidiously increased every year, and social media contact is an added dimension to this. Action for Children revealed that those adolescents who have a “probable mental disorder” were much more likely to experience online bullying.
Anyone who has spent any time around teens lately will know how much of their social life takes place on their phones. - The long shadow of the pandemic
It may feel like old news, but the impact has not gone away. A lack of educational experience, disrupted routines, and extended periods indoors have increased anxiety and social withdrawal in many children. Action for Children discovered that 42% of children are concerned about their mental wellbeing, up from 29% prior to the pandemic. - Structural inequalities
The children of minority ethnic origin and those in low-income communities continue to experience barriers. As Urban Health highlights, these children may have problems accessing support early on, which can lead to a snowball effect.
A couple of points to bear in mind:
The increase in numbers does not necessarily mean that everything is spiralling out of control. There are important nuances here:
- This is because more cases will be reported due to increased awareness. Ten years back, children wouldn’t describe something like “anxiety.” Now they do.
- There is no standard definition. The definitions that are given to “mental-health difficulties” are slightly different depending on which survey is being asked and what age range is being surveyed.
- Demand is not equivalent to crisis. Children are being referred earlier, which is positive, but there is a backlog. Action for Children points to long waiting lists within CAMHS care, so children wait between “recognised need” and “actual help”.
These subtleties do not negate the rise but rather aid in explaining it.
The implications on children’s services.
For those involved within residential settings, schools, foster care, youth work, and social care, it is difficult to ignore the implications.
- Early intervention is more important than ever. The big difference is that children will present symptoms long before any kind of crisis is reached.
- Support needs to deal with inequality. A child in care will not require the same level of support if they are living in a hostel compared to a child worried about examinations.
- Frontline workers require continuous training. Teachers, care workers, social workers, and residential workers are coping with more complex cases than they were five years ago.
- Capacity is a true pinch point. The level of need keeps increasing, but there aren’t corresponding increases to services. Even the best early-intervention programs are challenged when waiting lists increase into months rather than weeks.
- Holistic approaches are more advisable. Mental wellness is not an isolated issue. A lack of sleep, hunger, strained family relationships, being bullied, and school pressure are intertwined.
So… is mental health deteriorating?
Everything points to children and young people being increasingly pressured in terms of mental health within the UK. An increase in numbers, more complexity, more referrals, and more young children being affected sooner rather than later.
Yet “worse” does not necessarily mean something is suddenly bad or apocalyptic. A part of what we are witnessing is simply a long-held need that is finally bubbling up to the surface. There is increased understanding, less stigma, and a slowly more truthful reflection of the problem on our part.
That much is evident: to describe what we have at present as “normal” risks shortchanging a generation that needs more than what is currently being delivered.
How AHLC Can Support Children’s Mental Health in Practice.
At A.H. Lancer Consulting (AHLC), we work with children’s services to respond to the changing mental health landscape with clarity, confidence, and compassion. As needs become more complex and pressures increase, services require leadership, systems, and training that are equipped for early identification, effective intervention, and sustainable support.
We support providers through training and workforce development, safeguarding and governance reviews, leadership oversight, and inspection readiness, helping teams translate awareness of children’s mental health needs into practical, child-centred action. Our approach focuses on strengthening practice, supporting staff, and creating environments where children feel safe, understood, and supported.
If your service is adapting to rising mental health needs, AHLC can help you build the systems, skills, and leadership needed to respond effectively.
📩 Contact AHLC today to discuss how we can support your service.
