Anxiety & DepressionMental Health & Wellbeing

More Than One Million Children Referred to Mental Health Services in England

By FitNews On Jul 9, 2026

At a glance

Referrals have reached record levels: More than one million children were referred to mental health services in England in 2024–25, reflecting rising demand and increasing pressure on services.
Many children face long waits for support: Over a third of referred children are still waiting for treatment, with more than 60,000 waiting over two years, raising concerns that mental health problems may worsen before help is available.
Experts are calling for earlier, joined-up support: Mental health leaders say better collaboration across health, education and social care is needed to provide timely, person-centred support and improve outcomes for young people.

Long Waits Leave Children Without Support

Alongside rising demand, the report highlights growing waiting times for treatment. More than 60,000 children waited over two years for support in 2024–25, up from more than 44,000 the previous year. Overall, more than a third of children referred to services were still waiting to begin treatment.

De Souza said:

“These are not just numbers, but children whose lives have been put on hold for months and, in some cases, years waiting for support they urgently need.”

Previous research has also shown the impact of these delays. A study by the Royal College of Nursing found that some children experiencing a mental health crisis spent up to three days in A&E before being admitted to a specialist unit.

Growing Demand Is Stretching Services

The report suggests that increasing referrals for suspected autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions have contributed to rising demand. These children were also among those most likely to experience the longest waits for support.

Responding to the findings, Minesh Patel, Associate Director for Evidence, Advocacy and Performance at Mind, said:

“The scale of demand and the unmet need set out in this report is deeply concerning. With more than 1 million children now referred to mental health services, but many waiting months or years for support, it’s clear that the system is struggling to respond to the mental health challenges that young people are experiencing.”

He added that long delays can allow mental health problems to worsen, increasing the likelihood that young people will need crisis care and affecting their education, relationships and future opportunities.

Calls for a New Approach

Both the report and mental health leaders argue that increasing demand cannot be addressed by health services alone. De Souza called for a more joined-up approach across health, education and social care to ensure children receive support earlier and closer to their communities.

She said:

“The way we look to support young people’s mental health must change. We cannot address mental health alone in isolation; improving children’s wellbeing requires action across government.”

Patel also highlighted the opportunity presented by the Government’s forthcoming mental health strategy, saying it should deliver “mental health support that is responsive, tailored and person-centred, ensuring all young people can access high-quality conversations about their mental health needs, when it matters most.”

The report paints a concerning picture of rising demand outpacing the capacity of children’s mental health services. While more young people are receiving support than in previous years, the growing number of referrals and lengthening waiting lists suggest that further investment and closer collaboration across services will be needed to ensure children can access help when they need it most.