(England) Commissioner: 'No straightforward answers' to explain mental health crisis
- 11 hours ago
- 1 min read
More than a million children in England are currently engaged with mental health services, a figure described as revealing the "sheer scale of distress young people are facing today". The Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, has declared that the nation is "in no doubt that we are facing a crisis in young people’s mental health".
Her annual report, published on Monday, revealed that 1,048,965 children had active referrals to children and young people’s mental health services in the 12 months leading up to March 2025. This figure encompasses children who were referred for, awaiting, or receiving treatment during that period, though it excludes those already undergoing treatment at the start of the year.
The number of active referrals has almost doubled from 563,639 in 2018-19, with a 9.5 per cent increase in the last year alone. While Dame Rachel noted there appeared to be "no straightforward answers" to the surge, data obtained from NHS England by her office indicates anxiety as the primary reason for referrals.
Demand is also "growing especially" for those referred with suspected autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions.
