Children in the UK are facing a mental health crisis. Recent NHS data shows that one in five children and young people in England has experienced a mental health challenge, and the pressures they face are only intensifying. The toxic combination of health inequalities, strained services, and the lingering effects of disrupted education, routine and social connections during the pandemic, has created a perfect storm for mental ill-health in young people. Despite the alarming statistics, children continue to struggle to access the support they desperately need.
In the last year alone, nearly one million under-19s were referred to mental health services. Yet as of March 2024, more than a quarter of a million children remained on waiting lists for treatment. Worryingly, the government’s recent Autumn Budget failed to allocate additional funding to address this crisis.
How sick do children need to be before we deem them poorly enough to get help?
Barriers to accessing help
There are significant, systemic barriers preventing young people from accessing timely mental health care in the UK. One of the most glaring issues is the fragmentation and disparity of what support is available across the country. Due to overwhelming demand, most children are unable to access Child and Mental Health Services (CAMHS), as the service has to prioritise high-risk cases.
But even when they do get through, the support available varies widely depending on the region. Different areas offer different support depending on the child’s age and level of need. This inconsistency creates a patchwork system, where a child’s access to care depends on where they live. Even in areas where a variety of support is available, there are challenges to families and young people being aware of services and how to navigate them.
As a result, children living in the most disadvantaged areas are more than twice as likely to be denied the care they need compared to those living in affluent areas. In some regions, children living in one locality, compared to another, can experience radically different waiting times for care. This inequality is not just a problem; it’s a failure of the system to meet the needs of its youngest and most vulnerable citizens.
On an individual level, stigma also plays a crucial role in preventing young people from seeking help. A recent YouGov poll found that many children and young people feel uncomfortable talking to strangers, fear judgements from peers, or would rather keep their struggles secret. This highlights the desperate need for children’s mental health services that are not only effective but also inclusive, age-appropriate and non-stigmatising.
Furthermore, years of funding cuts to early intervention services have left many children on waiting lists until their care becomes urgent, driving a cycle of delay and deterioration. By the time some children receive support, their issues have worsened, requiring complex care, which is costly to deliver. Delayed intervention only leads to worse outcomes. We need to create a system where early intervention is prioritised and children are supported before their issues escalate and become harder to treat.
The complexity of the problem is enormous, but we cannot be paralysed by its scale. We know that good mental health is critical to a child’s development. It equips them to handle stress, build healthy relationships, and fosters resilience. Good mental health is also linked to better physical health outcomes, including reduced risk of heart disease.
There is no single solution to this problem. But there are tools and approaches that can help.
Taking a digital-first approach
Young people are digital natives. A staggering 97% of children own a mobile phone by age 12, making digital solutions a powerful way to reach and treat this age group.
Digital interventions can provide immediate access to mental health support, particularly in underserved or remote areas where traditional services may be scarce. They can enable children to receive care in their own spaces, helping to eliminate the anxiety some might feel about seeing clinicians in person. And crucially, digital tools are infinitely scalable. They can enable ICBs to deliver timely, tailored care to every child who needs it, free of the resource constraints that put barriers around practitioner/professional-led care (be it in-person or online). This means more children can access help sooner, before issues escalate, improving outcomes and reducing strain on stretched in-person services.
Digital solutions for children’s mental health are already having an impact. Programmes like Lumi Nova, which integrates Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) into an app-based mobile game for children aged 7-12, have shown promising results. In an NHS trial, Lumi Nova users reported significant reductions in the impact of anxiety disorders such as social anxiety, separation anxiety, and phobias.
While digital interventions are not a panacea and should not replace in-person care, they serve as a crucial first line of support. There is an increase in the prevalence of children’s mental health problems, and we need solutions that can make a difference today. Every child deserves access to timely care that can build mental resilience and give them the very best start in life. To address the mental health emergency, we must confront the inequalities that limit access to care and dismantle the stigma that prevents young people from seeking help. We must also embrace new digital solutions which can widen access to timely, inclusive and effective mental health support.
By Manjul Rathee, founder of BFB Labs