Child referrals for mental health care in England up 39% in a year

Pandemic, social inequality, austerity and online harm fuelling soaring NHS referrals, say experts

The number of children in England needing treatment for serious mental health problems has risen by 39% in a year, official data shows.

Experts say the pandemic, social inequality, austerity and online harm are all fuelling a crisis in which NHS mental health treatment referrals for under-18s have increased to more than 1.1m in 2021-22.