Parents warn of children’s mental health crisis as charities launch national reform plan

A new survey reveals widespread parental concern about children’s mental health, as leading charities warn of a system in crisis and set out a national roadmap for reform focused on early intervention, community support and prevention.

The findings, from online forum Mumsnet, accompany the launch of Future Minds: a roadmap to transform children and young people’s mental health by 2035, a new plan developed by a coalition of leading charities including Centre for Mental Health, Centre for Young Lives, the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition and YoungMinds, with support from the Prudence Trust.

The survey of 1,009 parents with children aged five to 17 found that mental health concerns are now a routine part of family life. More than three-quarters (77%) said they were concerned about their child’s mental health, with almost a third reporting they were very concerned. Nearly nine in ten parents (87%) believed children today face greater mental health pressures than previous generations.

Andy Bell, chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, said children and young people were facing “unprecedented strain”, with long-term consequences for education, employment and public services.

“It is disrupting education, limiting future employment, driving up public service costs, and threatening the UK’s long-term prosperity. Too little is done to prevent mental health problems in childhood. Too many children face long waits or are turned away from specialist care, while early support is often patchy or unavailable.

“By prioritising prevention, early intervention, and both clinical and nonclinical support - and by building on existing good practice and emerging evidence - we can close the treatment gap and reduce growing levels of need, ensuring children get help earlier and more effectively.”

Social media and online content emerged as parents’ biggest concern, cited by 76% of respondents, followed by friendship difficulties and bullying (46%) and academic pressure (44%). Anxiety, low confidence and school-related stress were the most commonly reported difficulties, while 43% of parents said their child has – or may have – an anxiety disorder.

Access to support was a significant issue, with more than two-thirds of parents who sought help describing the process as difficult, often due to long waiting times and problems obtaining referrals or diagnoses. Confidence in government action was particularly low: just 3% of parents said they believed the government was doing enough to support children’s mental health.

The impact on families was also stark. More than four in ten working parents said they had reduced hours, taken time off or left a job because of their child’s mental health needs, while 42% reported their child had missed school, including nearly one in five who said absences were frequent.

The Future Minds roadmap argues that rising levels of distress, limited access to early support and patchy specialist provision are placing a generation’s wellbeing at risk and increasing pressure on public services. It notes that around one in five young people aged eight to 25 now report a diagnosable mental health condition, with girls and young women particularly affected.

The plan sets out a programme of reform focused on three key shifts: moving investment from crisis and inpatient care towards community-based early intervention; harnessing digital tools to widen access and reduce waiting times; and embedding prevention and wellbeing support in schools, youth services and families.

Proposals include expanding Mental Health Support Teams in schools, improving access to community-based services such as Young Futures hubs, investing in youth services and social prescribing, and setting clear targets to reduce the number of children in inpatient mental health settings. The roadmap also highlights the role of digital and hybrid models, such as online support combined with community outreach, alongside a stronger commitment to piloting and evaluating new approaches.

Connie Muttock, head of policy at the Centre for Young Lives, described the UK as “the European leader of youth unhappiness” and said parents and children were “crying out for help”, adding that reform must go hand in hand with action on poverty, inequality and online harms.

Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts said families were “battling a failing system” and urged the government to act urgently to reform children’s mental health provision.

The charities behind Future Minds are calling on the government to use the roadmap as a foundation for long-term reform, warning that without sustained investment and system-wide change, the mental health crisis facing children and young people will continue to deepen.