Children’s Mental Health Referrals in England hit 1 Million

According to a report, more than one million children in England were referred to mental health services in 2024-25, marking a 10% increase in just one year.

The figure means that one in every 10 children in England was referred for mental health support.

It is also almost double the number recorded in 2018-19, highlighting growing pressure on children’s mental health services.

The findings were published in the annual report, Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services: 2024-25, by Dame Rachel de Souza.

Anxiety remained the most common reason for referral, accounting for 16% of all cases.

Referrals involving suspected autism increased by almost 50% in a single year, rising to more than 96,000 children.

Referrals linked to other neurodevelopmental conditions, including ADHD and Tourette’s syndrome, also increased by nearly a quarter.

The report warned that growing demand continues to outstrip available resources. More than a third of children referred to services were still waiting for treatment.

More than 60,000 children had been waiting for support for over two years. This represented a significant increase from more than 44,000 children recorded the previous year.

The report also found that fewer than one in five children referred with suspected autism or other neurodevelopmental conditions went on to receive support during 2024-25.

Those who did receive help waited, on average, around one year.

Dame Rachel described the findings as “stark”, warning that despite some improvements in access to support, the scale of the challenge facing services remained severe.

She said it was difficult to ignore the “colossal challenge” facing mental health services, as demand continues to exceed available capacity and funding.

Dame Rachel also called for a different approach to supporting children and young people.

She said there should be a greater focus on joined-up services “across health, education and social care to ensure children are getting the help they need in schools and the community”.

Mental health charity YoungMinds said it was deeply concerned about growing barriers to care and lengthy waiting times.

The charity highlighted particular concerns affecting black and racially minoritised children and young people, as well as those referred with suspected autism or other neurodevelopmental conditions.

The data also revealed disparities in access to mental health support among ethnic minority communities.

Black and Asian children were underrepresented in referrals overall. However, when they were referred, they were significantly more likely to be experiencing severe distress or a mental health crisis.

One in four black children referred to children’s mental health services were in crisis at the time of referral. This compared with 16% of Asian children and 7.4% of white children.

The figures have raised questions about why some children from ethnic minority backgrounds are not receiving support at an earlier stage.

The report also found a clear link between deprivation and referrals.

Children living in the poorest 10% of areas in England accounted for 15% of all referrals. By comparison, children from the least deprived areas accounted for just 7.6% of referrals.