Yesterday, NHS England published its Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2023/4.
The survey results included:
- Young adults (aged 16 to 24), with a common mental health condition, rose from 17.5% in 2007 to 25.8% in 2023/4
- Younger adults were also more likely to self-harm and to be diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) than people in older age groups.
- Mental ill-health is significantly more common among people living with debt, who are unemployed, live in deprived areas, or have a long-term health condition to manage.
Over 36,000 people were supported by our crisis services last year, with over 50% of people saying that money worries had caused their crisis. We’re concerned that if welfare reform goes ahead without mitigating support, we will continue to see an increase in these numbers, pushing services and people past breaking point. The proposed welfare reforms risk worsening mental health by piling pressure on people who are already struggling.
Our Together in a Crisis (TIAC) service helped 597 young in 2023/24, an increase of 8% since last year. Many of the young people told us they needed the support because of housing issues, financial concerns, or having suicidal thoughts. While we’re proud that over 86% of those young people saw an improvement in their wellbeing, more needs to be done to help people before they reach crisis point.
Mandy Coppin, Head of Children and Young People’s Services at Everyturn Mental Health, commented:
“The NHS England report shows worrying mental health trends among young people in England. Self-harm, suicidal feelings, and PTSD are on the rise, which should be a warning call to us all.
“We welcome the three ‘big shifts’ in the upcoming NHS 10-Year Plan, emphasising support in communities rather than in hospital, focusing on preventative care, and making better use of technology to create joined-up care.
“But community mental health support needs to be properly funded, and we also need to actively listen and work in partnership with our children and young people. By finding out what issues they are facing, and working with them to provide the support they need, can we empower our next generation of young adults to make their own decisions about their lives and what keeps them well.
“Third sector NHS partners like Everyturn will be crucial to developing the community mental health support that our young people need and deserve. We’ve been doing it for over 30 years through our Streetwise services, and we want to share our experience and expertise, as we know no single organisation can do it alone. Together, we’ll provide vital services and support to make sure no young person is left to struggle alone.”