1 in 4 17-19-year-olds have a probable mental disorder finds NHS Digital Report

1 in 4 (25.7%) of 17-19-year-olds have a probable mental disorder according to the latest findings of an NHS Digital report, the most recent in a series of follow-up reports to the 2017 Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey.

The report examines the mental health of children and young people living in England in 2022 as well as their household circumstances, experiences of education and employment, access to services, and of life in their families and communities.

Key Findings:

• In 2022, 18.0% of children aged 7 to 16 years and 22.0% of young people aged 17 to 24 years had a probable mental disorder.
• In children aged 7 to 16 years, rates rose from 1 in 9 (12.1%) in 2017 to 1 in 6 (16.7%) in 2020. Rates of probable mental disorder then remained stable between 2020, 2021 and 2022.
• In young people aged 17 to 19 years, rates of a probable mental disorder rose from 1 in 10 (10.1%) in 2017 to 1 in 6 (17.7%) in 2020. Rates were stable between 2020 and 2021, but then increased from 1 in 6 (17.4%) in 2021 to 1 in 4 (25.7%) in 2022.
• 11 to 16 year olds with a probable mental disorder were less likely to feel safe at school (61.2%) than those unlikely to have a mental disorder (89.2%). They were also less likely to report enjoyment of learning or having a friend they could turn to for support.
• 1 in 8 (12.6%) 11 to 16 year old social media users reported that they had been bullied online. This was more than 1 in 4 (29.4%) among those with a probable mental disorder.
• 11 to 16 year old social media users with a probable mental disorder were less likely to report feeling safe online (48.4%) than those unlikely to have a disorder (66.5%).
• 1 in 5 (19.9%) 7 to 16 year olds lived in households that experienced a reduction in household income in the past year. This was more than 1 in 4 (28.6%) among children with a probable mental disorder.
• Among 17 to 22 year olds with a probable mental disorder, 14.8% reported living in a household that had experienced not being able to buy enough food or using a food bank in the past year, compared with 2.1% of young people unlikely to have a mental disorder.

Mental Health and Education/Employment Status

• Rates of probable mental disorder were 22.2% among those in education, 20.8% in those in employment and 26.5% in those not in education or employment.
• For young people in employment, rates of probable mental disorder were higher in young women, 29.3% had a probable mental disorder compared with 11.2% of young men.
• 2 in 5 (40.5%) young people aged 17 to 24 years who were not in education or employment agreed they felt isolated from others.
• Young people not in education or employment were more likely than other young people to agree (strongly agree or agree) that they felt isolated from others; 40.5% agreed with this statement compared with 15.5% of those in employment but not education, and 8.8% of those in employment and education.

Mental Health Support

• The most commonly reported sources of help and advice for a mental health concern reported by young people aged 17 to 23 years in 2022 were family or friends (42.6%), followed by online or telephone support (19.3%)
• The most commonly reported sources of help and advice for a mental health concern in young people aged 17 to 23 years with a probable mental disorder were:
  • friends or family (58.5%)
  • online or telephone support (39.6%)
  • health services (34.9%)
  • education services (34.1%)

Youth Employment UK Comment:

These findings are depressingly similar to one of the key findings of the 2022 Youth Voice Census that young people are in a mental health emergency. The survey of over 4,000 young people aged 11-30 found 51% of young people looking for work thought their anxiety was the biggest barrier to accessing work and 31.2% of young people in work struggle with their well-being. In response to this growing challenge for young people the APPG for Youth Employment, of which Youth Employment UK is the secretariat, has launched an inquiry to better understand the impact of mental ill health on young people accessing the labour market and good quality work. The inquiry remains open for submissions until Friday the 9th of November and a full report with recommendations will be produced and presented to government ministers in parliament in January 2023.