A government-ordered review led by an expert in mental health diagnoses argues that today's youth face real, rising mental health challenges, with about one in four aged 16 to 24 affected.

The review will examine ADHD, autism, and mental health, while BBC reporting notes increasing loneliness among young people over the last two decades, potentially linked to mobile use and social media.

The most common issues identified among young people are anxiety, depression, self-harm, and eating disorders.

Leaders and experts stress the urgency of closing the gap between rising need and available services.

Advocate Griffiths urges practical action: adults should listen to young people, apply research findings, and move beyond reports to implement solutions.

Hope 4 More supports students struggling to attend school, facing criticism from some adults who deem their approach too soft, according to Griffiths.

Calls to action emphasize improving access to mental health services, school-linked teams, addressing cuts to youth services, and providing broader societal support across education, housing, and families.

Mid-term findings show little progress on access or waiting-time standards during the Labour government’s two-year period, signaling urgent need for improvement.

The coalition praises some measures (workers’ rights, poverty-reducing policies, mental health specialist in schools) but criticizes others, including a proposed under-16s social media ban and concerns about revised guidance on single-sex spaces for trans and non-binary youth.

Future Minds calls for open-access Early Support Hubs up to age 25, formal access and waiting-time standards, and a triple-lock funding mechanism to ensure real-term funding growth.

An anecdotal GP note suggests high diagnostic thresholds for ADHD, with over 1,000 referred patients and only one not receiving an ADHD diagnosis.

The weighted median wait for care in 2024/25 stood at 128 days, underscoring substantial delays for children and young people.