Young people today face greater mental health challenges than previous generations, according to a major review commissioned by the government. The steep rise in conditions such as anxiety and depression is real, and so is the distress they cause.
Review rejects 'snowflake' caricature
Prof Peter Fonagy's review of mental health conditions, autism and ADHD in England dismisses the idea of a “snowflake generation” of fragile young people. It says the increase in mental health problems is genuine and driven by cultural and social factors.
These include Covid disruption, financial and housing insecurity, and competitive school and social stresses exacerbated by social media. The review also notes the loss of support services, from Sure Start to youth clubs, leading to less belonging and more loneliness.
Courage of young people
Fonagy, who reveals he was a severely depressed teenager in 1960s London, writes in a foreword: “I am in awe of their courage. Young people are contending with more powerful forces than I ever faced. They are not fragile. They are outnumbered.”
The review warns that simple answers are rarely adequate, pushing back against those who suggest troubled young people should simply “pull their socks up”.
Wider consequences and solutions
The rising prevalence of mental illness, ADHD and autism has wider consequences, the review warns: public services are overwhelmed, people suffer without care or support, and the cost to the taxpayer is unsustainable.
Fonagy admits there is a risk of overdiagnosis, though says there is no evidence it is happening at scale, and is critical of unregulated private providers of diagnostic assessments. The deeper problem, he argues, is the disproportionate power of diagnosis in accessing care, school support, or disability benefits, which encourages unfairness.
His solution is to reduce reliance on diagnosis, with NHS waiting times currently at 64 weeks, and instead identify and triage needs early. The review concludes: “Continuing as we are is not sustainable.”
