Anxiety drives child mental health referrals past one million

More than a third of the children were still waiting for treatment; More than 60,000 have been waiting for help for more than two years; This is up from more than 44,000 children the previous year.

Less than one in five people with suspected autism or neurodevelopmental problems continued to receive treatment in 2024-25. Those who waited waited an average of one year for support.

Dame Rachel described the figures as “plain” and said although there had been some improvements last year with more children receiving support, it was hard to ignore the “huge challenge” facing mental health services as demand outstripped system capacity and funding.

He said there needed to be a change in approach, with greater focus on combined services “in health, education and social care to ensure children get the help they need in schools and in the community”.

The charity YoungMinds said it was extremely concerned about the additional barriers and wait times experienced by black and racial minority children and young people, as well as those referred to services with suspected autism or neurodevelopmental conditions.

Figures show black and Asian children are under-represented in referrals and are much more likely to experience serious distress or crisis when referred.

One in four black children referred to children and youth mental health services were referred because they were in crisis, compared with 16% of Asian children and 7.4% of white children; This raises questions about why some children from ethnic minority backgrounds have not received help before.

Children from the poorest 10 per cent of areas in England made up 15 per cent of referrals, while those from the least deprived areas made up 7.6 per cent.

If you are experiencing distress or despair, details of help and support in the UK can be found at: BBC Action Line