Is youth mental health getting better or worse?

One in six children aged 5-16 are likely to have a mental health problem. This figure has gone up by 50% in the last three years. Between 2021 and 2022 alone, the proportion of older young people aged 17-19 in England with a probable mental health disorder jumped from one in six to one in four.

- The pandemic
Covid-19 had a lasting impact on young people’s wellbeing. 42% of children tell us they worry about mental health now. This is up from 29% before the pandemic happened. Over a third of parents of under-fives think their children’s long-term mental wellbeing will be affected.

- Poverty and money worries
Almost a third of all children tell us they worry about their family having enough money to live comfortably. This goes up to nearly half in children from low-income backgrounds. With the cost of living crisis pushing more UK families into poverty, this figure is set to increase. Children with a probable mental disorder are more likely to live in a home experiencing financial difficulty than those without.

- The pros and cons of social media
Social media offers young people the opportunity to express themselves and connect with others. More than half of all young people say online life has a positive impact on their relationships with friends. But it can also be a space that invites comparison. Young people are still developing their sense of identity and self-worth and are particularly vulnerable to pressures to look or live a certain way. Some young people also experience cyberbullying, with those with a probable mental disorder being twice as likely to report being bullied online.

- School pressure
The demands of school life can affect young peoples’ mental health. Children with a probable mental disorder miss more school than those who don’t.

Young people know more about mental health these days and are aware that their mental wellbeing can affect their lives more broadly. A recent study by Action for Children reported that children listed mental health as one of their top five concerns.

Parents, grandparents and guardians are worried about their young peoples’ wellbeing, too. 57% of parents and 64% of grandparents think childhoods are worse today than previous generations. This isn’t right - quality of life should be getting better with every generation, not worse.

Early intervention can make a huge difference when it comes to mental health. But in a recent YoungMinds survey, three-quarters of parents said that their child's mental health had deteriorated while waiting for support from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

And while more than half of 16–25-year-olds have seen their GP about their mental health at some point, many aren’t seeking the help they need. Some young people don’t feel that their problem is ‘bad enough’. Others would prefer not to go through their GP to get support on mental health issues.

Young people shouldn't have to wait for a mental health crisis to know it’s ok to get help, and they should know that whatever they are going through, they will get the caring support they need.

Action for Children services help young people to feel heard, and give them tools to build the resilience they need to face life’s challenges. In the year 2022/2023 we supported 88,689 young people with their mental and emotional wellbeing. The brutal cost of living crisis and the increasing poverty levels in the UK are taking a severe toll on children's mental health. At a time when families are celebrating, others are struggling to feed their children and keep them warm.

We also have a growing number of local mental health services across the UK – and we won’t stop until all young people have the support they need to thrive. With your help, we could increase our services even further and reach more young people.

This year, too many children will miss out on the magic of Christmas. The magic of Christmas begins in childhood. Hanging stockings. Sharing festive food. Presents under the tree. It’s a time for children to feel loved and make memories that last a lifetime. 

But for vulnerable children across the UK, Christmas is anything but magical. For many, Christmas is just another day of empty cupboards and putting on an extra jumper to keep warm. And wondering why their friend got presents and they didn’t. 

At Action for Children, we have over 2,500 frontline workers supporting children every day. We’ve seen children without a bed sleeping on the floor with just blankets. Families phoning us crying because they have no money to feed their children. It’s relentless. And it doesn’t stop because it’s Christmas.

But you could help change that. By becoming a Secret Santa, you could help a vulnerable child feel the magic of Christmas.