New research highlights fast-increasing demand for help among teenagers, sparking debate over how to fix the system.
A growing number of young people in the UK are turning to specialist mental health services before adulthood, with new research revealing a four-fold increase in service use over the past two decades.
The study, led by the University of Edinburgh and published today (10th December), found one in five young people in the UK now access specialist mental health care by age 18, compared with just one in 17 in the early 2000s.
Researchers analysed anonymised health records from the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) databank in Wales, which is considered to be representative of UK-wide trends.
The findings show a consistent year-on-year rise in referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), with the rate accelerating sharply after 2010. Among those born in 1991, 5.8% had used CAMHS by age 18; for those born in 2005, the figure reached 20.2%.
Experts warn the rapid increase highlights a significant gap between service capacity and the mental-health needs of today’s young people. Many treatment approaches, they note, still rely on evidence that is decades old.
The study has been published amid mounting concerns about rising rates of youth mental ill health. Researchers said that until now, there has been limited evidence on how many young people actually engage with specialist NHS services or how service use has changed over time.
The analysis also shows adolescents are far more likely than younger children to access CAMHS. While boys and girls had similar contact rates in the early 2000s, by 2022 girls were nearly twice as likely to seek specialist support.
The team are calling for further research into what is driving the increased demand and how well current interventions meet the needs of young people.
Ian Kelleher, study lead and Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh, said: ‘This study provides the clearest picture yet of the soaring demand for CAMHS. There has been a seismic shift in the numbers coming to CAMHS but there has been far too little research to understand why this is the case. Contrary to a lot of public discourse, this is not a post-pandemic issue – this trend has been building consistently for over a decade.
‘Unlike oncology or cardiology services, there is far too little research and evaluation taking place in CAMHS. Clinicians want to provide the best possible care but we need stronger modern evidence on which to base our treatment decisions. Robust clinical research programmes are not a luxury, they are the only way to ensure our systems and treatments are effective for today’s young people.’
The full research can be read here.
Image: micheile henderson/UnSplash
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