More than one million children and young people in England were referred to mental health services during 2024–25, marking a significant milestone that underscores the growing demand for specialist mental healthcare across the country. According to the latest annual report by the Children’s Commissioner, referrals increased by 10% compared with the previous year and have nearly doubled since 2018–19, highlighting mounting pressures on an already overstretched system.
The findings reveal that approximately one in every 10 children in England was referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) over the past year. Anxiety remained the leading cause of referrals, while cases involving suspected autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions experienced some of the fastest rates of growth, raising fresh concerns about access to timely diagnosis, assessment and treatment.
Anxiety Remains the Leading Cause of Referrals
The report identifies anxiety as the single most common reason children were referred for specialist mental health support, accounting for around 16% of all referrals during 2024–25. Mental health professionals continue to warn that increasing academic pressures, social challenges, economic uncertainty and the lasting psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to worsening mental wellbeing among children and adolescents.
Alongside anxiety, referrals linked to suspected autism spectrum disorder rose dramatically over the past year. The number of children referred for suspected autism increased by almost 50%, reaching more than 96,000 cases. Referrals associated with other neurodevelopmental conditions—including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Tourette’s syndrome—also recorded substantial growth, increasing by nearly one-quarter compared with the previous year.
These figures reflect rising awareness of neurodevelopmental conditions but also place additional strain on specialist assessment and treatment services that are already struggling to meet demand.
Long Waiting Times Continue to Affect Families
Despite an increase in the number of children receiving mental health support during the year, the report highlights persistent delays that continue to prevent many young people from accessing timely care.
More than one-third of children referred to mental health services were still waiting to begin treatment at the end of the reporting period. Particularly concerning is the growing number of children facing exceptionally long delays. More than 60,000 young people had been waiting for over two years to receive support, representing a significant increase from more than 44,000 recorded the previous year.
Children referred for suspected autism or other neurodevelopmental conditions experienced some of the longest delays. Fewer than one in five received treatment during 2024–25, while those who accessed services waited an average of one year before receiving specialist support.
Mental health experts warn that prolonged waiting times can allow symptoms to worsen, affecting children’s education, relationships, emotional development and overall quality of life.
Children’s Commissioner Warns of Growing System Pressures
In her annual report, Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services: 2024–25, Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza described the latest figures as evidence of the immense pressure facing England’s child mental health services.
While acknowledging that more children received treatment during the past year than previously, she said demand continues to outpace available resources, staffing levels and funding.
Dame Rachel stressed that the country faces a “colossal challenge” in responding to children’s growing mental health needs. She called for a more integrated approach that brings together healthcare providers, schools and social care services to ensure children receive support earlier and closer to their communities.
According to the report, strengthening early intervention within educational settings could help reduce pressure on specialist services while improving long-term outcomes for children experiencing emotional or behavioural difficulties.
Concerns Over Inequalities in Access to Care
The report also highlights significant inequalities affecting access to children’s mental health services across England.
YoungMinds, a leading mental health charity, expressed concern over the persistent barriers faced by many children, particularly those from Black and racially minoritised communities, as well as children referred for suspected autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions.
The data suggests that Black and Asian children remain underrepresented among referrals despite evidence indicating they often present with more severe mental health needs by the time they access specialist services.
Among Black children referred to mental health services, one in four entered the system during a mental health crisis. By comparison, crisis referrals accounted for 16% of Asian children and only 7.4% of White children.
These disparities have prompted renewed questions about whether children from some ethnic minority communities are encountering obstacles to accessing support at earlier stages, when intervention may be more effective.
Socioeconomic Deprivation Continues to Influence Demand
The latest figures also demonstrate a strong relationship between socioeconomic disadvantage and children’s mental health needs.
Children living in England’s most deprived communities accounted for 15% of all referrals, despite representing a much smaller proportion of the overall population. In contrast, children from the least deprived areas made up only 7.6% of referrals.
Mental health professionals have consistently linked financial hardship, housing insecurity, family stress and reduced access to community resources with poorer mental health outcomes among children and adolescents.
The findings reinforce longstanding concerns that children growing up in disadvantaged environments are more likely to experience emotional and psychological difficulties while simultaneously facing greater challenges in accessing timely support.
Calls for Earlier Intervention and Better Coordination
Healthcare leaders and children’s charities argue that addressing rising demand will require more than simply expanding specialist mental health services. They advocate greater investment in prevention, early intervention and integrated care across education, healthcare and social services.
Schools are increasingly viewed as a crucial setting for identifying emerging mental health concerns before they escalate into more severe conditions requiring specialist intervention. Improved collaboration between teachers, educational psychologists, family support services and healthcare providers could help ensure children receive assistance sooner.
Mental health organisations also continue to call for increased investment in workforce capacity, specialist assessment services and community-based support to reduce waiting lists and improve access to care.
Growing Demand Signals Need for Long-Term Reform
The latest referral figures illustrate the scale of the mental health challenges facing children and young people across England. With referrals approaching twice the level recorded just six years ago, healthcare experts warn that current service capacity remains insufficient to meet rising demand.
Although more children are receiving support than in previous years, long waiting times, regional disparities and inequalities affecting vulnerable communities continue to undermine timely access to care.
As anxiety, autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions drive increasing demand, policymakers face growing pressure to strengthen children’s mental health services through sustained investment, earlier intervention and closer coordination across health, education and social care systems to ensure every child can access appropriate support when it is needed most.