New research indicates that reported mental health conditions in children and young people have significantly increased across Britain in recent years. England alone witnessed a 6-fold rise in children and young people reporting a mental health condition over the last 2 decades.
Researchers from University College London, Imperial College, London, University of Exeter and the Nuffield Trust analysed data from 140,830 individuals (aged 4-24 years) across England, Scotland and Wales through national surveys.
Between 2008 and 2014, reported mental health conditions in England and Scotland, and reported treatment for one in Wales rose by 60%, 75% and 41%, respectively. In 2014, one in 20 children and young people in England reported a long-standing mental health condition, a figure 6 times higher than that reported in 1995. The most significant increase in mental health conditions was seen in young people aged 16-24 in England. Across all countries, young boys aged 4-12 years were more likely to report a long-standing mental health condition than their female counterparts.
Speaking about these concerning figures, Professor Tamsin Ford, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: "We need to understand how much of this increase is down to a rise in the number of cases, and how much is the result of greater awareness and less stigma, meaning people are more willing to report it and seek help."
