More than 1 million children were referred to mental health services across England last year, with referrals up 10% from the year previous, according to a report by the children’s commissioner, Rachel de Souza. She said the country faced a “crisis” in young people’s mental health.
The number of patients who had an active referral to children and young people’s mental health services across England surpassed 1 million for the first time in 2024-25. This was almost double the number recorded in 2018-19, and an almost 10% rise on the previous year.
De Souza said there was “no disguising the fact the figures in this report are stark”.
Anxiety remained the most common reason for referrals, accounting for 16% of them.
Minesh Patel, associate director for evidence, advocacy and performance at Mind, said: “The scale of demand and the unmet need set out in this report is deeply concerning. With more than 1 million children now referred to mental health services, but many waiting months or years for support, it’s clear that the system is struggling to respond to the mental health challenges that young people are experiencing.
“It is particularly worrying that over a third of children are still waiting for treatment – many for more than two years. 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. A deterioration in a young person’s mental health can also have serious impacts on their relationships, education and future opportunities.”
He added: “The UK government’s upcoming mental health strategy is a pivotal opportunity to transform the mental health of the next generation. This requires a shift towards mental health support that is responsive, tailored and person-centred, ensuring all young people can access high-quality conversations about their mental health needs, when it matters most.”
The report also found that the increased demand for children’s mental health services was driven partly by a growth in referrals for suspected autism and neurodevelopmental conditions, with these children being most likely to face some of the longest waits.
Previous research by the Royal College of Nursing found that children and young people in England having a mental health crisis were spending up to three days in an A&E unit before being given a bed in a specialist unit.
The analysis also found that although more children were waiting in the system, with proportionally fewer having their referral closed, the number left waiting longer for support surged in 2024-25. More than 60,000 children were waiting more than two years for support, an increase from more than 44,000 children the previous year.
“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,” de Souza added.
“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 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.
“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?’”
The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.
