NHS referrals for anxiety in children more than double pre-Covid levels

Exclusive: more than 500 children a day or one every three minutes are referred to mental health services in England

• People in mental health crisis in England can now call NHS 111
• I remember crying walking into school': having anxiety as a child
• Jaw-dropping' number of children in England with anxiety shocks even professionals

More than 500 children a day in England are being referred to NHS mental health services for anxiety, more than double the rate of before the pandemic began, the Guardian can reveal.

In 2023-24 there were 204,526 new referrals of patients aged 17 or under where the primary cause was anxiety, official figures show. In 2019-20, the year before Covid-19 struck, the total was 98,953. In 2016-17 it was 3,879.

In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111. In the US, call or text Mental Health America at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978