There is ‘no doubt that we are facing a crisis in young people’s mental health,’ the children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has said in a revealing reportBenjamin Lynch News Reporter and Aine Fox Press Association Social Affairs Correspondent23:01, 28 Jun 2026Some children have waited ‘years’ for support they ‘urgently need’ (file photo)(Image: Getty Images)More than a million children – roughly one in 10 – across England were referred to, waiting for or receiving treatment from mental health services, according to data analysis described as revealing the “sheer scale of distress young people are facing today”.Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said she is “in no doubt that we are facing a crisis in young people’s mental health“.While she acknowledged there appeared to be “no straightforward answers” as to what has been fuelling the increase, data obtained by her office indicated the primary reason for referrals was anxiety, with demand reportedly “growing especially” for those referred with suspected autism and neurodevelopmental conditions.Children’s Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza(Image: PA)There were 1,048,965 children with active referrals to children and young people’s mental health services in the 12 months to March 2025, her annual report into the matter revealed.Active referrals encompass children who have been referred for, were awaiting or received treatment during that timeframe, though the figures exclude children who were already undergoing treatment at the start of the 12-month period.The number of active referrals has nearly doubled from 563,639 in 2018-19 and increased by 9.5% in the past year alone, Dame Rachel’s report stated.It referenced a Government review, published in March, which concluded there is no “single narrative” for the rise in rates of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) regarding demand for children’s mental health services. The report highlighted “rising distress” among younger people as one of the key factors driving increased demand for services, while also drawing attention to a “medicalisation of distress” which can result in a diagnosis becoming the “main route of support”.Referrals for anxiety increased from 151,479 to 169,389 (file photo)(Image: Getty Images)The report’s authors noted that growing rates of diagnosis for ADHD and autism “does not necessarily mean rising prevalence” of these conditions, but could instead be down to “improved recognition, changes in help-seeking behaviour, evolving social patterns, and the possibility that under-recognition may persist in parts of the population”.Dame Rachel’s report, published on Monday, stated that there appear to be “no straightforward answers to what is driving the rise in referrals, and that there may be different answers depending on the conditions being considered”.Figures obtained from NHS England by her office revealed that the sharpest year-on-year rise was in referrals for suspected autism – jumping by 47% from 65,530 to 96,393.Referrals for other neurodevelopmental conditions climbed by nearly a quarter, from 107,479 to 133,435.Meanwhile, referrals for anxiety increased from 151,479 to 169,389 – a rise of 12%.Anxiety accounted for 16% of all referrals in the year to March 2025, while neurodevelopmental conditions excluding autism made up 13%, suspected autism represented 9.2% of referrals, and depression accounted for 3.9%. Children under 10 were more likely to be referred with neurodevelopmental conditions – specifically suspected autism for children aged six and younger, the report revealed.There were 1,048,965 children with active referrals to children and young people’s mental health services in the 12 months to March 2025 (file photo)(Image: Getty)For youngsters aged over 10, anxiety was cited as the most frequent reason for referral, it noted.The weighted average waiting time for all children in the year ending March 2025 stood at 128 days, and of those still awaiting treatment at that point, 60,041 (16%) had been waiting longer than two years, according to the report.This marked an increase from 14% the previous year, with the report warning that waits exceeding a year were “common”.Dame Rachel described the figures as “stark”.She said: “Roughly one in 10 children have an active referral to mental health services in England, which clearly demonstrates the sheer scale of distress young people are facing today. 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.”While she acknowledged “encouraging signs” as greater numbers of children received support last year, she warned of a “colossal challenge facing mental health services, as demand outpaces system capacity and funding”.Dame Rachel went on to say: “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?'”.She described the Government’s mental health strategy and reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (Send) system as a “once in a generation opportunity to transform children’s mental health and improve outcomes for children”.
