The number of children and young people accessing NHS-funded mental health services has increased by nearly 80,000 in the past year, sparking renewed concern over a system already under strain.
The figures are analysed in the latest update from Child of the North, titled Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing Update: Learning what works in a worsening crisis, which has been released as part of the #ChildrenFirst campaign.
According to the report, referrals rose from 749,833 in 2023 to 829,308 in 2024/25 – an 11% increase – highlighting what experts warn is a worsening crisis since the issue was raised in the Child of the North’s 2024 report Improving mental health and wellbeing with and through educational settings.
“Young people were neglected through the pandemic, and this report shows just how harmful this has proved to the mental wellbeing of the next generation.”
Professor Mark Mon Williams, University of Leeds
The new analysis builds on a major series of reports produced last year by Child of the North and Centre for Young Lives on key topics identified by Northern child health leaders as major issues of concern, including poverty, special educational needs, school attendance and mental health.
This report update examines the impact of the UK government’s whole-school approach to mental health, which is focused on embedding wellbeing into every aspect of school life, not just through isolated programmes. It emphasises leadership commitment, supportive school ethos, and staff training, alongside a curriculum that builds resilience and emotional skills.
Toolkits support practitioners to implement recommendations
The 2025 #ChildrenFirst campaign includes the launch of free toolkits designed to help schools, child health workers and local authorities take practical steps to improve the health and wellbeing issues faced by the children and young people in their care.
“Our report describes an assessment and support system under unsustainable pressure, as rising demand collides with entrenched inequalities and an overstretched NHS. There is some cautious optimism, however, in that the government’s flagship Mental Health Support Teams are beginning to make an impact on persistent school absence, but the system is not delivering at scale or with any consistency across the country.”
Dr Ruth Wadman, University of Bradford
School impact
The evidence shows that schools can make a significant difference to mental health outcomes, as they are places of connection, belonging and support – or they can be a place where children experience stress, exclusion and inequality.
Researchers argue that it is not enough to have the right words to use with children in need of support, but the right resources to build strong relationships with every child and be prepared to offer swift support whenever a child needs it, and for every child that needs it.
“Young people were neglected through the pandemic, and this report shows just how harmful this has proved to the mental wellbeing of the next generation. These numbers rapidly turn into personal family tragedies through suicide and young people’s futures being derailed. Child of the North has put forward evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and ‘How To’ guides for practitioners. We are now calling on everyone to play their role in reversing these statistics and help build a country that works for all children and young people.”
Professor Mark Mon-Williams
“We now need more systematic evaluation of what works for schools and children, and in particular we need to ensure that children in disadvantaged areas, particularly in the North of England where need is greatest, are not left behind. We have the promise of better services and improved outcomes, but we need to see this in practice and more consistently across the country.”
Professor Kate Pickett, Academic Co-Director at Health Equity North from the University of York’s Department of Health Sciences