One in four teens ‘suffering from mental health issues’

ONE in four older teens is now thought to have a mental disorder.

A damning report for NHS Digital found a “sustained deterioration” in mental health among teenagers and younger children.

A quarter of 17 to 19-year-olds in England had a probable mental disorder in 2022, up from a sixth in 2021.

Amy Dicks, from The Children’s

Society, said: “These stark figures lay bare the scale of mental health issues affecting young people. The crisis predated the pandemic, with a failing system turning children away or making them wait for treatment.”

Co-author Dr Tamsin Newlovedelgado, of Exeter University, said: “There has been a sustained deterioration.

“We should be particularly worried about primary school boys and young women.”