Better linked data is needed for a fuller picture of young people’s experiences.There are signs that the CYPMHS workforce is growing in line with young people in contact: both increased by about 40% between January 2019 and April 2021.Data on waiting times for CYPMHS are not routinely published apart from certain services such as eating disorders, where fewer than half of those younger than 18 were seen within target times in 2021.This includes patients waiting to be seen, suggesting CYPMHS may be struggling to meet demand.
In 2021, 24% more patients were in contact with CYPMHS compared with 2020, and 44% more than in 2019 (based on the January to September period).However, about a year later, these reached a new high of 100,000 per month. After schools closed due to COVID-19 and ways of accessing GPs changed, new referrals to CYPMHS fell sharply (by 35% in April 2020 compared with the year before).The underlying causes are complex, but increased recognition of mental health issues, social isolation and disruptions to home and school routines during the pandemic likely played a role.This rise in prevalence since 2017 corresponds to an additional 500,000 young people between 6 and 16 with a probable mental health condition, who may need support from children and young people’s mental health services (CYPMHS).Current figures are especially concerning for adolescent girls aged between 17 and 19: one in four had a probable mental health condition in 2021. Among those aged 6 to 16 in England, one in six had a probable mental health condition in 2021, up from one in nine in 2017.Here, we explore what we know about the state of children and young people’s mental health services using openly available administrative and survey data. Mental health conditions have become more common among children and young people.
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