Children and young people’s mental health
Helping young people access the support they need, when they need it
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.
At NPC, we are working with partners across the impact economy to understand where this system breaks down and how it can be improved. Our focus is on practical, system‑level change that helps funders, charities and services work together more effectively so that fewer young people fall through the gaps.
NPC has a long history of working on young people’s mental health:
- Our 2024 research‘The youth mental health crisis’ explores how charities are coping with a huge rise in demand.
- We looked at digital mental health services for young people in 2019 and 2021 research, culminating in Signpost+, a project which works to make support easier to find online.
- Our 2008 report ‘Heads Up’ highlighted the importance of early intervention, but also how little money is spent on young people’s mental health services compared to adult mental health services.
Today, we continue to explore this important issue.
Unlocking Support
In 2026, we published Unlocking Support, a major piece of collaborative research developed with the Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition and Centre for Mental Health
Drawing on input from over 440 organisations and people with lived experience, the project creates a shared systems map of mental health support for children and young people.
This map highlights where young people face barriers to accessing support and where coordinated action can have the greatest impact.
The work translates complex system insights into practical recommendations for funders and services, including:
- Taking a place-based approach to systems change
- Investing in the connective infrastructure that enables collaboration
- Strengthening the evidence base on what works
Read our latest report on children and young people's mental health
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Related items
Resources
Unlocking support
By James Somerville, Famin Ahmed, and Jessica Weir .
On 16 February 2026.
We identify why young people struggle to access mental health support, and how funders and services can improve pathways.
Blog
New research to help charities stop children and young people ‘falling through gaps’ in mental health support
On 5 March 2025.
NPC have announced a £145,000 project to tackle the youth mental health crisis.
Blog
4 barriers in the children’s mental health system
By Charlotte Rainer .
On 2 June 2025.
Complexity, lack of prevention and early intervention, gaps in school support, and underfunding of NHS services.
