New research to help charities stop children and young people ‘falling through gaps’ in mental health support

• Think tank NPC have announced a £145,000 project to tackle the youth mental health crisis.
• Project to be delivered in partnership with the Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition and Centre for Mental Health.
• Researchers will map mental health support systems to identify gaps and suggest ways that charities and funders can fill them.
• Project is funded by BBC Children in Need, the AD Charitable Trust, and the Rayne Foundation.

Today NPC have announced a new project to identify where charities and funders can focus their work to reverse the alarming rise in children and young people’s mental health problems.

Young people are facing a growing mental health crisis:

• 1 in 5 children aged 5-16 are likely to have a mental health problem
• 1 in 5 young people in England aged 8-25 had a ‘probable mental health disorder’ in 2023
• 50% of adult mental health problems are present by age 15, and 75% are present by age 24.
• 70% of people in the UK agree that young people’s mental health is worse today than it was for previous generations.

Charities have a crucial role to play in reversing this trend, because they’re able to reach children and young people that schools and the NHS can’t. Research by the Children’s Society shows that more than two thirds of young people would prefer to be able to access mental health support without going through their GP.

The new research will look at existing support and identify gaps where children and young people are unable to access support. Researchers will work with charities, funders, mental health professionals, and young people themselves to develop recommendations for charities and funders so that every young person gets the help they need, when they need it.

James Somerville, NPC’s Policy Manager said:

‘Parents across the country are worried about the growing crisis in youth mental health. We know that the key to reversing the trend is prevention and early access to support. This new project is all about finding the gaps in current services, so we can make sure no young people are left behind.’

Charlotte Rainer, Manager of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition said:

‘Members of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition play a crucial role in supporting the mental health of babies, children and young people.

This project will not only help to identify gaps in current provision but also help to strengthen existing support so that every child and young person gets the support they need, when they need it.’

Andy Bell, chief executive at Centre for Mental Health, said:

‘Too many young people are left without the support they need to manage their mental health – or wait so long that their mental health deteriorates even further. This is unacceptable, but not inevitable.

By highlighting the gaps in support, and identifying where funders and charities can make the biggest difference, we can make sure that more children get the right support for a healthier future.’