One in five young people in Britain now access specialist mental health care by the time they turn 18 in a “seismic shift”, new research has found.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh examined figures from Wales, which they say reflect those of the whole of the UK, and found a fourfold increase in the number of children accessing mental health services in the last two decades.

They say the study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, suggests that while Covid lockdowns contributed to a decline in young people’s mental health, it is not the only factor driving the trend. Numbers accelerated before the pandemic, with a particular rise after 2010.

In one of the first studies to measure the impact of worsening child mental health on specialist services, researchers tracked children born from 1991 to 2005 to measure how many had accessed NHS child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) before their 18th birthday. They found that while fewer than 6 per cent of those born in 1991 had used the services, more than 20 per cent of individuals born in 2005 had done so.

While Covid lockdowns contributed to a decline in young people’s mental health, it is not the only factor driving the trend (Getty/iStock)

Teenagers were the most likely age group to be in touch with mental health services. In the early 2000s, a similar number of boys and girls attended services, but by 2022 there were nearly twice as many girls as boys.

Ian Kelleher, leader of the research and professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh, said: “This study provides the clearest picture yet of the soaring demand for CAMHS. There has been a seismic shift in the numbers coming to CAMHS but there has been far too little research to understand why this is the case. Contrary to a lot of public discourse, this is not a post-pandemic issue – this trend has been building consistently for over a decade.”

In a separate study, psychologists at the University of Manchester have put the decline in mental health among young people down to worsening sleep quality, economic pressure, a reduction in children and youth services, and social media and smartphone use.

Their research also revealed poorer mental health among young women and girls, which goes some way to explaining their increased use of mental health services. Their study found that more girls experienced low mood than boys due to factors including discrimination, academic pressure, and increased time spent on social media.

Dr Ola Demkowicz, senior lecturer in psychology of education, who led the study, said: “Our analysis has also pointed to a need to treat these worsening trends as genuine – this is not simply a story about a change in how young people identify, describe, or report their mental health.”

Jeremy Bernhaut, director of policy and practice at Mental Health UK, said in response to the University of Edinburgh’s findings: “Poor mental health often takes root in adolescence, and it’s crucial that young people can access rapid support so these difficulties do not become life-long challenges. As highlighted by this new research, mental ill-health among young people has been on the rise for some time … Those who do become severely unwell often wait too long for care, and others are rejected by services altogether because they do not meet the high threshold for support.”

An NHS spokesperson said: “The NHS is working tirelessly to meet the rising tide of demand and has supported two-thirds more children and young people [since the pandemic]. We know early intervention is vital and are offering millions of children immediate NHS support in classrooms, with every school and college set to have a mental health support team by the end of 2029.”