New EPI report finds significant gaps in early mental health support for young people across England – and a rise in the number of young people reaching a crisis point
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A new report by the Education Policy Institute (EPI), funded by The
Prudence Trust finds substantial geographic variation in the
range of early mental health support services for young people –
with no clear link between the level of need and the range of
support on offer. Meanwhile, new data shows that A&E
attendances for mental health reasons have increased by 20 per cent
since 2017 for 11- to 25-year-olds. The report finds
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A new report by the Education Policy Institute (EPI), funded by The Prudence Trust finds substantial geographic variation in the range of early mental health support services for young people – with no clear link between the level of need and the range of support on offer. Meanwhile, new data shows that A&E attendances for mental health reasons have increased by 20 per cent since 2017 for 11- to 25-year-olds. The report finds that:
● There is substantial variation across the country
in the range of mental health support
services outside of NHS settings
available to young people. These services include
open-access
● NHS providers of specialist mental health services to young people are often unaware of the services operating in their area, indicating that they are unable to signpost young people who do not meet thresholds for access to NHS treatment to a suitable service. ● Vulnerable young people, including those who identify as LGBTQ+ and those from ethnic minority groups who have documented barriers to accessing mental healthcare, are particularly underserved when it comes to targeted services.
• According to our data, half of areas did
not have a targeted service for LGBTQ+ young people, and
two thirds did not have any
targeted service for young people from ethnic minority groups or
for other under-served groups,
including refugee and asylum-seekers or care-experienced young
people. ● In a third of integrated care systems, we find that data on the impact of accessing mental health support on young people's mental health is not being comprehensively collected. Outcomes measures have only recently been included in published national NHSE data, covering only a minority of young people.1 At both the national and local levels, this appears to be a significant barrier to service improvement. ● New data from NHS England shows that, between 2017 and 2023, the number of young people aged 11 to 25 attending A&E for mental health reasons increased by 20 per cent to about 150,000,whilst admission episodes rose by a third, indicating that more young people are reaching a crisis point and experiencing multiple visits to A&E for their mental health. Policy recommendations:
Whitney Crenna-Jennings, Associate Director for Mental Health, Wellbeing, and Inclusion said: “This research reveals a lack of transparency and local coordination in the provision of non-specialist mental health support for young people across England, despite the introduction of integrated care boards and partnerships. Our data shows significant geographical disparities in the range of available services, particularly for underserved groups. It is concerning that in many areas, commissioners and providers of services do not appear to be fully aware of what services exist. This patchy landscape and governance, combined with increasing numbers of young people reaching a crisis point, underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of services delivered outside of specialist settings and their effectiveness in meeting young people's diverse needs.” Background and methodology:
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