Young people in UK facing ‘mental health emergency’ as referrals reach record high
New figures have revealed a record surge in referrals to children and young people’s mental health services in March, alongside unprecedented waiting times.
The charity YoungMinds, analysing NHS England data, reported 932,822 under-18s had an active mental health referral during the month.
YoungMinds warned the data highlights the "sheer scale of the mental health emergency" facing youngsters.
New referrals climbed 11% from February and were up 2% compared to the same time last year.
The analysis also found that the average waiting time topped 300 days for the eighth consecutive month.
Abigail Ampofo, interim chief executive at YoungMinds, said: “These alarming figures highlight the sheer scale of the mental health emergency.
“While waiting lists for the treatment of physical health problems are going down, the time young people are spending trying to access specialist support for their mental health continues to rise.
“So many pressures are harming young people’s mental health, including academic demands, rising living costs and inequality.
“We need more investment in mental health services, but we also need to tackle these root causes of poor mental health.
Source: The Independent, 28 May 2026