One in four young people in England have mental health condition, NHS survey finds

Sharp rises in rates of anxiety, depression and other disorders have led to one in four young people in England having a common mental health condition, an NHS survey shows, with young women more likely to report them than young men.

The study found that rates of such conditions in 16- to 24-year-olds have risen by more than a third in a decade, from 18.9% in 2014 to 25.8% in 2024.

Results from the adult psychiatric morbidity survey showed that reports of common mental health conditions – a term that also includes panic disorder, phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder – occurred in 36.1% of women compared with 16.3% of men.

Sally McManus, one of the lead researchers on the survey, said the figures reflect many global trends disproportionately affecting young people.

“Young people are growing up worried about many aspects of their lives, from insecure employment and housing through to Covid and climate change. Young people may have been one of the one groups whose mental health was most affected by Covid,” she said.

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Source: The Guardian, 26 June 2025