Key statistics about children and young people

Written by Bonnie Gifford (Read)
Bonnie Gifford (Read)
Counselling Directory Content Team

The emotional well-being of children and young people is just as important as their physical health. The early years of adulthood are a crucial time as the mind and body are rapidly developing and children are constantly facing new challenges.

Here we explore statistics about children and young people's mental health and well-being. 


Children and young people's mental health in England

Children are extremely vulnerable to mental disorders. Unlike adults, who have the ability to identify, understand and seek help for a problem, a child may be confused and upset by what they are feeling.

Fortunately, there are now many organisations working to spread awareness and end the stigma of mental distress and provide support for young people

1 in 5 children and young people are affected by a mental health problem.


According to the Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 20231 report published by NHS England, one in five (20.3%) of children and young people aged eight to 25 have a probable mental disorder. 

While NHS England rolled out 398 Mental Health Support Teams within schools and colleges to help provide support to young people with mild and moderate mental health issues, this only covered around 35% of pupils and learners in further education. By spring 2025, help available is expected to cover 50% of pupils and learners. 

However, the Children’s Commissioner2 for England revealed in 2024 that over a quarter of a million (270,300) children and young people were waiting for support after being referred to Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) in 2022-23. While 8% (949,200) of all children in England were referred to CYPMHS during this period, 28% of those referred were still waiting for support, and a further 39% had their referrals closed before accessing support. 

While on average, children and young people who access support wait an average of 35 days, nearly 40,000 wait over two years to receive access to support. While many children grow up mentally healthy, the number experiencing mental health problems has increased in recent years. Common mental health problems affecting children and young people include:

  • depression
  • self-harm
  • generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
  • post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • eating disorders

In 2023/24, Childline3 revealed that the top concerns that children and young people talk to counsellors about included mental and emotional health and well-being, suicidal thoughts and feelings, family relationships, self-harm, and friendship issues. Over 12 months, Childline counsellors provided 187,999 counselling sessions to children and young people aged 19 and under. 


Risk factors

There are some risk factors that can make some children more likely to experience problems than others. While most things that happen in a young person’s life will not lead to mental health problems, certain traumatic events can trigger problems for children who are already considered vulnerable. Some of the risk factors include:

  • having a long-term physical illness
  • having a parent who has problems with alcohol or drugs
  • having a parent who has had mental health problems
  • experiencing the death of a loved one
  • having parents who are separated
  • experiencing bullying
  • being abused or neglected
  • living in poverty
  • experiencing discrimination
  • living in care
  • taking on adult responsibilities at a young age
  • experience stressful or traumatic life events

According to the NSPCC 4, some children and young people may be at increased risk of developing mental health issues. This can include:

  • Children from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities may experience direct, indirect or institutional racism, discrimination or prejudice, as well as an increased stigma around mental health issues. This can lead to issues accessing care and support for mental health.
  • Deaf and disabled children may face increased discrimination and bullying, which can lead to lower self-confidence and social exclusion.
  • LGBTQ+ children and young people may experience fear of rejection from friends and family, prejudice, discrimination, bullying, or feelings of exclusion.
  • Young carers may be more likely to experience mental health problems including stress and worry about those they are caring for and feeling like they have to hide their emotions. They may also feel like they don’t have time for themselves. 

Common areas of mental distress

Anxiety and anxiety-related problems

Anxiety is incredibly common. According to the Mental Health Foundation5, 89% of young people aged 18-24 say anxiety interferes in their day-to-day life to some extent, while 34% say they have felt anxious most of all of the time in the last two weeks. Research shared by Mind6, has shown nearly a third (31%) of 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK reported some evidence of anxiety or depression.

Children and young people suffering from anxiety may experience it in three forms:

  • Affecting six in 100 people in England in any given week7, generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) can cause young people to feel extremely worried. Young children starting a new school may suffer separation anxiety.
  • Panic attacks are unpredictable attacks of extreme anxiety, usually lasting around 10 minutes. The sufferer may find it difficult to breathe and feel out of control. The feelings of panic will gradually start to ease but the person can be left quite shaken and uneasy.
  • Affecting around two in 100 people in England 7, those who live with a phobia tend to feel nervous about one thing in particular. While to some people it may not be dangerous or threatening, to the person with the phobia, it can be quite detrimental to everyday life. For example, agoraphobia is the fear of being in situations where escape may be difficult.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition. This means that people with ADHD have some differences in how their brain works, and it can impact how they see and experience the world. While not a mental health condition, ADHD can affect your mental health. 

Children and young people with ADHD may find it difficult to concentrate, have a lot of energy or say things without thinking. ADHD traits usually start before age six, but people can be diagnosed at any age. While ADHD used to be thought to be more common in men and boys this is no longer believed to be true. Symptoms in women and girls can be different8 which can lead to difficulty recognising and diagnosing. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence9 estimates around 5% of children have ADHD, while around 3-4% of adults do. 

Eating disorders

Eating disorders can have a significant impact on children and young people’s mental and physical health. According to Beat10, an estimated 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder. Some of the most prevalent11 eating disorders include binge eating disorder (22% of cases), bulimia (19%), anorexia (8%), avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) (5%), and other specific feeding or eating disorders (47%). 

The Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2023 report revealed that 2.6% of 11 to 16-year-olds, 12.5% of 17 to 19-year-olds, and 5.9% of young people aged 20 to 25 have eating disorders. 

While eating disorders can develop at any age, many develop during teen and young adult years. Charities such as Beat have reported children as young as six, and people into their 70s developing eating disorders.  

Depression

Depression is a common mental disorder that affects nearly 80,000 children and young people. Many people think depression is only prevalent in adults, but in fact, 2% of children under 12 years old will experience depression13. The Royal College of Psychiatrists estimates around 2.1% of young people aged 5-19 experience depression14

Most young people will occasionally feel upset or low, but some can feel sad, lonely, anxious or stressed for longer periods of time. It is when people feel this way for a long time that it starts to affect their daily lives.

Self-harm

It can be difficult to understand why people self-harm, but it is more common than people think. The Mental Health Foundation15 reports that 10% of young people self-harm. The stigma of teenage mental health needs to be removed so that young people can get the help they need. It's important to remember that it is not a cry for attention but a way of releasing feelings of being unable to cope. 

Suicidal feelings

While everyone has times when they feel down and can’t see a way out, young people can be particularly vulnerable to suicidal feelings. Thoughts of the future, school pressures, relationships and sexuality can sometimes become overwhelming.

Young people feeling this way may believe that nobody can help them or that they have no one to talk to. It is these feelings that can lead a person to believe that the only way out is to end their life.

According to Young Minds16, suicide is the leading cause of male and female deaths for those aged five to 34.


Child abuse

Child abuse is any action that causes significant harm to a child. It can be physical, emotional or sexual but can also be a lack of love, care and attention. Neglect can be just as damaging to a child as physical abuse. The NSPCC estimate that half a million children in the UK are abused each year.

It is estimated that one in 20 children has been sexually abused18. Sexual abuse is usually hidden, and adults may not recognise the signs of sexual abuse in a child or young person. Children may be too young, scared, or ashamed to tell anyone what is happening, or may not know who to turn to.


How can counselling help?

The stigma and judgements associated with teenage mental health can make it tough for children and young people to find the courage to seek help. While they may not be in the position to talk to a friend, family member or teacher, it is important to spread awareness of the help available.

Children and young people may benefit from professional support. There are various treatments that can help young people understand and cope with what they are going through, including talking and creative therapies.

Counselling provides young people with the opportunity to explore their feelings. Here they can open up about their problems without shame or discrimination. The counsellor is someone to listen and offer support to the child, who may otherwise feel alone.

In this video, counsellor Izzy Sturgess explains how child counselling can help and what it offers young people.

Common types of therapy often recommended include:

  • cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
  • cognitive analytical therapy (CAT)
  • arts therapies
  • counselling and psychotherapy
  • mindfulness
  • play therapy
  • drama therapy

References

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