New study reveals increased mental health challenges among children over time

A new Wolfson Centre study has found that children in England with psychiatric disorders are facing more severe difficulties today compared to two decades ago.

The study, co-authored by Dr Jessica Armitage from the Wolfson Centre for Young People’s Mental Health and Dr Tamsin Newlove-Delgado from Children and Young People’s Mental Health Research Collaboration (ChYMe), analysed data from national child mental health surveys carried out in 1999, 2004, and 2017 in England. The findings show a significant rise in the severity and impact of mental health disorders among children aged five to 15 in 2017, highlighting the growing challenges faced by young people today.

The research compared children with emotional, behavioural, and hyperkinetic disorders over time, using reports from parents, children (aged 11 and older), and teachers. According to the study, children with psychiatric disorders in 2017 experienced more significant difficulties at school, at home, and in their daily lives compared to those in earlier decades. While parents and children themselves reported increased challenges, teacher ratings did not show the same rise in difficulties.

Dr Armitage, one of the study's lead authors, emphasised the urgency of these findings: "Our study reveals a very concerning trend: children of today are experiencing a much greater burden of problems compared with previous generations."

The study also explored factors that might increase the likelihood of a child developing a psychiatric disorder. Consistent across all three surveys was the finding that children who were male, older, living in rented housing, or from low-income families were at greater risk of having a mental health disorder. Additionally, poor family functioning and parental mental health issues were significant risk factors.

Interestingly, while these factors remained constant, ethnicity became an increasingly significant predictor. In 2017, children from minority ethnic backgrounds were less likely to have a disorder compared to their white peers, marking a shift from earlier decades.

The increase in mental health challenges reported by children and parents in 2017, alongside the growing awareness of mental health difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic, signals an urgent need for intervention. The study’s authors call for further research to understand the root causes of these growing difficulties.

With evidence that mental health problems among children were already escalating before the pandemic, the findings highlight the need for effective prevention strategies and better access to mental health support for young people. The study also underscores the need for policymakers and researchers to consider the broader social, economic, and environmental factors that may be contributing to the increasing mental health challenges faced by children today.

The paper, Characteristics of children with a psychiatric disorder in 1999, 2004 and 2017: An analysis of the national child mental health surveys of England is published in the JCPP and available to read online .