Thousands of young people are being left waiting so long for mental health support or treatment that they have attempted to take their own lives, leading mental health charity YoungMinds reveals today.

Almost 14,000 young people aged under 25 completed a survey the charity used for a government consultation on a ten year strategy for mental health.1 The future of this consultation now lies in doubt, as the candidates for the leadership of the Conservative Party are yet to commit to the plan.

More than one in four young people (26 per cent) said they had tried to take their own life as a result of having to wait for mental health support. More than four in ten (44 per cent) waited more than a month for mental health support after seeking it and almost one in 10 (9 per cent) young people were turned away.

More than half of young people (58%) said their mental health got worse while they were waiting for support.

The figures come as latest NHS data shows 66,389 young people aged 19 and under were referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in April, a 109% rise compared to the same month pre-pandemic. The research also reveals that:

  • more than a third of young people (37%) said they did not feel supported by their GP when they tried to access mental health support or advice
  • more than two thirds of young people (71%) said they experienced problems with their relationships with family and friends as a result of having to wait for mental health support

YoungMinds today launches its End The Wait campaign, calling on the Government to end the crisis in young people’s mental health.