Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2023 - wave 4 follow up to the 2017 survey

This part of the report describes the mental health of children and young people aged 8 to 25 years living in England in February to April 2023. Trends over time in mental health are also included.

Comparisons are presented as follows:

• for those aged 8 to 16 years and 17 to 19 years in 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023
• for those aged 20 to 23 years in 2021, 2022 and 2023, as this age group was not represented in the previous survey waves

This report focuses on differences that are statistically significant. 
 

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to assess different aspects of mental health, including problems with emotions, behaviour, relationships, hyperactivity and concentration. 

Responses from parents, children and young people were used to estimate the likelihood that a child might have a mental disorder, this was classified as either ‘unlikely’, ‘possible’ or ‘probable’. 

Please note that the mental disorder prevalence estimates in the initial MHCYP 2017 survey reported on a different and more detailed diagnostic assessment of mental disorder. Therefore, any comparisons between 2017 and the subsequent waves must draw on the results based on a comparable measure (the SDQ) using children that were aged between 8 to 19 years at the time of each survey.  
 

In 2023, 20.3% of children aged 8 to 16 years had a probable mental disorder, 12.0% had a possible mental disorder, and 67.7% were unlikely to have a mental disorder.  

Having a probable mental disorder was more common for 11 to 16 year olds (22.6%) than for those aged 8 to 10 years (15.7%).

In young people aged 17 to 19 years, 23.3% had a probable mental disorder, 15.3% had a possible mental disorder, and 61.4% were unlikely to have a mental disorder. In young people aged 20 to 25 years, 21.7% had a probable mental disorder, 15.4% had a possible mental disorder, and 63.0% were unlikely to have a mental disorder.

In younger children aged 8 to 10 years, the prevalence of a probable mental disorder was similar in boys (17.7%) and girls (13.6%). Rates of a probable mental disorder were also similar in boys (22.3%) and girls (22.9%) aged 11 to 16 years.  

In young people aged 17 to 19 years, the prevalence of a probable mental disorder was twice as high in young women (31.6%) as in young men (15.4%). In those aged 20 to 25 years, rates were more than twice as high in young women (30.4%) than in young men (13.4%).

For more information see: Table 1.1 of the Excel data tables.
 

Figure 1.1 base: 8 to 25 year olds. 

The prevalence of a probable mental disorder in children aged 8 to 16 years rose between 2017 and 2020, from 12.5% in 2017 to 17.1% in 2020. Rates in the subsequent survey waves were similar with no statistically significant differences between these years. In 2021, 17.7% of children in this age group had a probable mental disorder, in 2022, the figure was 19.0% and in 2023, it was 20.3%.  

The prevalence of a probable mental disorder for both children aged 8 to 10 years and 11 to 16 years was higher in 2020 compared with 2017 but remained similar with no statistically significant changes between the subsequent survey waves. 

In young people aged 17 to 19 years, rates of a probable mental disorder rose from 10.1% in 2017 to 17.7% in 2020. Rates did not change between 2020 and 2021. However, there was an increase in the rate of a probable mental disorder between 2021 and 2022, from 17.4% in 2021 to 25.7% in 2022. The rates remained stable between 2022 (25.7%) and 2023 (23.3%).

For girls and young women in both age groups (8 to 16 years, and 17 to 19 years), prevalence of probable mental disorder rose between 2017 and 2020, then remained stable over the subsequent survey waves. Rates were similar between 2022 and 2023.

For boys aged 8 to 16 years, prevalence of probable disorder also rose between 2017 and 2020, and then remained stable. For young men aged 17 to 19 years, rates were similar between 2017 and 2020, and across the subsequent survey waves.

Rates of a probable mental disorder for those aged 20 to 23 years were similar in 2021 (16.6%), 2022 (18.7%) and 2023 (21.6%).  This was the case both for young men and for young women. There was no 2017 or 2020 data for this age group.

For more information see: Table 1.2 of the Excel data tables.
 

Figure 1.2 base: 8 to 19 year olds.