Mental health referrals for youngsters hit record high in March
It is estimated that around one in five eight to 25-year-olds have mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
The number of children and young people being referred to mental health services hit a record high in March.
The analysis of figures by the charity YoungMinds showed that the average waiting times also hit record levels.
The charity said the data highlights the “sheer scale of the mental health emergency” facing youngsters.
Around one in five eight to 25-year-olds have mental health problems
The figures from NHS England show 932,822 people under the age of 18 had an active referral to mental health services in March, which includes 134,837 new referrals.
Both figures are the highest on record for a single month, YoungMinds said.
New referrals were up by 11% on February and 2% from the same time last year.
On waiting times, the number of urgent, very urgent and emergency care referrals for young people reached 8,631, up 16% (7,443) compared with the previous month.
The previous highest was 1,284 in June 2025.
The analysis also found that the average waiting time topped 300 days for the eighth consecutive month.
The average waiting time was 301 days in March, up 13 days when compared to the same period last year.
In the worst cases, patients waited more than two-and-a-half years – 1,006 days – up by 146 days from the previous year and another record high.
Figures called 'alarming'
Abigail Ampofo, interim chief executive at YoungMinds, said: “These alarming figures highlight the sheer scale of the mental health emergency.
“While waiting lists for the treatment of physical health problems are going down, the time young people are spending trying to access specialist support for their mental health continues to rise.
“So many pressures are harming young people’s mental health, including academic demands, rising living costs and inequality.
“We need more investment in mental health services, but we also need to tackle these root causes of poor mental health.
“The announcement that a cross-government mental health strategy is to be developed is welcome but, with a record number of young people being referred for support, we can’t wait until that strategy is in place to turn things around. We need both a long-term plan and urgent action."
It is estimated that around one in five eight to 25-year-olds have mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.