Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced the launch of a major independent review into the rapidly increasing demand for mental health, ADHD, and autism services across England.
Examining the Surge in Demand
The review will scrutinise the sharp rise in diagnosis rates and investigate the support available to individuals. Mr Streeting emphasised that the issue must be examined through a "strictly clinical lens" to build an evidence-based understanding. This move follows comments he made in March, where he suggested there had been an "overdiagnosis" of some mental health conditions, leading to people being "written off".
Recent data underscores the scale of the challenge. Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) reveals that mental health conditions are now far more commonly reported among the working-age population. Notably, more than half of the increase in disability benefit claimants aged 16 to 64 since the pandemic is linked to mental health or behavioural conditions.
Currently, some 1.3 million people claim disability benefits primarily for these conditions, accounting for 44% of all claimants. The review will also explore the significant inequalities in accessing support, a problem highlighted in Lord Darzi’s 2024 report on the NHS.
A Decade of Rising Need
The statistics paint a stark picture of growing need. In 1993, 15.5% of 16 to 64-year-olds had a common mental health condition; by 2023-24, this figure had risen to 22.6%. The pressure on specific services is even more acute. The Department of Health stated that in September 2025, 13 times more people were waiting for an autism assessment than in April 2019.
The review is launched alongside a £688 million funding injection aimed at hiring 8,500 more mental health workers, expanding NHS talking therapies, and increasing mental health emergency departments.
Mr Streeting shared a personal perspective, stating: "I know from personal experience how devastating it can be for people who face poor mental health, have ADHD or autism and can’t get a diagnosis or the right support." He added that the review aims to ensure "everyone gets timely access to accurate diagnosis and effective support."
Scope and Leadership of the Review
The independent study will be led by Professor Peter Fonagy, the national clinical adviser on children and young people’s mental health. It will involve academics, doctors, epidemiological experts, charities, and patients. The review will focus on several key areas:
- Why more people are turning to the NHS and other services for support.
- The role of diagnosis in accessing help.
- The effectiveness of current treatment and support methods.
Professor Fonagy committed to a rigorous process, saying: "We will examine the evidence with care... to understand, in a grounded way, what is driving rising demand. My aim is to test assumptions rigorously and listen closely to those most affected." The findings are scheduled for publication in the summer of 2026.
The review has been welcomed by leading mental health charities. Dr Sarah Hughes, chief executive of Mind, called it a "huge opportunity" to understand the drivers of mental illness, especially among young people. She stressed the need to tackle the social and economic factors fuelling demand.
Baroness Anne Longfield of the Centre for Young Lives noted the "very significant worsening" of children's mental health over the past decade and said the review could be a catalyst for serious reform. The initiative also comes as the government seeks to address the growing welfare bill, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently signalling a fresh push on welfare reform.
