No ‘snowflakes’: mental health review says today’s youth have it harder and harms are real
Summary
A new review led by Prof Peter Fonagy finds that mental health problems among young people in England have genuinely increased due to social and cultural pressures. The review challenges the idea that youth are simply fragile or overdiagnosed and calls for changes to mental health support that do not rely so heavily on formal diagnoses.Key Facts
- The review was commissioned nine months ago by then health secretary Wes Streeting.
- Mental health issues like anxiety and depression have risen significantly among young people.
- Causes include Covid disruptions, financial and housing instability, school pressures, and social media effects.
- Support services like youth clubs and Sure Start programs have been reduced.
- The review criticizes the reliance on diagnosis to access care, which leads to unfairness.
- NHS waiting times for mental health diagnosis can be as long as 64 weeks.
- Private, unregulated diagnostic providers are growing but often unreliable.
- The review recommends identifying individual needs early to provide faster support and reduce dependence on diagnosis.
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