Action urged to tackle children’s mental health 'crisis'

The system is buckling under pressure, and the most vulnerable—our children—are paying the price. Overstretched schools, underfunded services, and exhausted parents and carers are left to pick up the pieces, all while the number of children in crisis continues to skyrocket.

The latest statistics from Ambitious about Autism reveal that, in the 2023/24 period, 236,644 children and young people in England were identified as having autism—an alarming 134.8% increase since 2023/24.

This isn't simply a rise in diagnoses; it reflects both a greater awareness of the condition and an education system that is struggling to meet the growing demand for support. These figures, however, do not even account for the countless undiagnosed children struggling in a system that fails them at every level.

For many parents and carers, navigating this broken system is an everyday battle. Amy, a mother from Gosport, knows this all too well.

Her son is four years behind academically, but when she sought help from her son’s school, she was met with dismissive responses. “They told me they couldn’t teach him at that level because it was primary school level,” Amy recalls. “Then they said he wasn’t delayed enough for special support. So he’s not getting any education at his level!”

Amy fought for three years to get an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) for her son, all while facing mounting frustration and exhaustion. The constant rejection and poor communication left her feeling powerless and unheard.

When Holbrook Primary School in Gosport finally submitted an application, it was so poorly written that Amy thought her son had done it himself. The request was denied due to a lack of evidence, a common outcome in a system overloaded with demands. When she appealed, the school washed its hands of the matter: “Now that you’ve put the appeal in, we are no longer involved.”

Amy's struggles are far from unique. Another parent, whose child attends Bay House School in Gosport, shares a similar frustration: “The school told me they didn’t see any behaviour issues and that I should put myself in parenting classes because it was ‘clearly an at-home problem.’”

These heartbreaking stories are not isolated incidents. They reflect the widespread failure of a system that is meant to support families but instead leaves them to fend for themselves in a fractured and overwhelmed environment.

The gaps in mental health support are equally dire. One desperate parent reached out to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) when their child began banging his head against a brick wall. The response? “We can’t help. This might need to be diagnosed at 18. If it continues, call the police.” Imagine being told that law enforcement is the only recourse for a child in mental distress.

Another parent shared a bizarre yet telling exchange with CAMHS. She was advised: “Give him nuts because growing boys need protein, and make a menu plan. I’ll email you a flyer.” The lack of urgency and meaningful support is staggering.

Military families face an additional hurdle. One mother was denied an EHCP for her child because, despite The Children Act 1989 clearly stating that military children should receive the same support as others, the school claimed there was “not enough evidence” due to the child’s frequent relocations. The law is clear, but enforcement remains nonexistent.

The system is not just failing children—it’s pushing parents and carers to the brink, shattering their mental and emotional well-being. Mental health professionals often trap parents in an endless loop of referrals and signposting.

“The school tells us to go to the GP, the GP tells us to make a referral to CAMHS, then CAMHS says they can’t do anything, and the school tells us to make another referral to the GP, ” one parent explained. Another described being repeatedly given the same generic advice: “Try a warm bath.” As if a bath could fix the overwhelming stress, anxiety, and trauma these children endure daily.

The school system itself exacerbates the problem. Under immense pressure to maintain high Ofsted ratings, schools lose points for student absences. As a result, they push for perfect attendance and grades—even when it’s detrimental to a child’s well-being. Mental health isn’t even considered a valid reason for absence in the eyes of some schools. If a child has a stomach ache, they can have the day off, but if you mention mental health, it’s just marked as an absence, not an illness.

Strict uniform policies further alienate children with sensory issues. Kings Academy school in Gosport have staff stationed at the gates to enforce sock colour rules—while inside, children struggled with undiagnosed autism, anxiety, and learning difficulties.

The fight for an EHCP is gruelling, with many parents spending years trying to secure one. Even when a child is granted an EHCP, the accommodations needed often fail to make it onto the document. The process is designed to wear families down—and too often, it succeeds.

The consequences of this broken system ripple far beyond the classroom. Parents who take on the full-time burden of advocacy, caregiving, and emotional support are left drained. The stress on families is immense, leading to an increase in divorces and relationship breakdowns.

Anne Longfield, Chair of the Commission on Young Lives, has warned of the dire consequences of this growing crisis: "The children's mental health emergency in England is so profound that we face a generational threat to our country’s future national prosperity and success. The scale of the problem is growing, rocket-boosted by the pandemic, and the system is buckling under pressure, unable to cope with the explosion in demand for help."

Interestingly, while extensive research focuses on how parental separation affects children’s mental health, there is a significant gap in data regarding the impact on parents and carers themselves. Caring for a child with mental health issues is undeniably challenging, yet the struggles of parents and carers often go unrecognised, leaving them to cope in isolation.

A 2019 study by University College London (UCL) found that children aged seven to fourteen are more likely to experience mental health problems following parental separation, with a 16% increase in emotional issues and an 8% rise in conduct disorders. However, this study does not address how the stress of raising a child with mental health challenges contributes to parental relationship breakdowns.

Similarly, a report by the Marriage Foundation highlights that family breakdown is a significant factor in the UK’s child mental health crisis, with over a third of children from separated families reporting poor mental health. Yet, this report also lacks data on how caring for children with mental health issues impacts parental relationships.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the pressures of caring for children with mental health problems can lead to significant stress for parents. One mother had to leave her job to home-educate her autistic son due to inadequate support from the mainstream education system, leading to severe anxiety and depression. While this case illustrates the personal toll, comprehensive data on how much caregiving responsibilities impact parental relationships is lacking.

This gap in research underscores the need for studies that focus on the well-being of parents and carers. Understanding their challenges is crucial for developing support systems that address the needs of the entire family unit, not just the children.

The time for action is now. The system’s breakdown isn’t just harming children; it’s straining families and teachers across the country. To stop this crisis from worsening, we need a comprehensive, long-term plan that goes beyond temporary fixes. The government must invest in special education and mental health services, improve the EHCP process, and provide more targeted support for parents. Most importantly, we must ensure that our children—our future—have the resources they need to thrive.

What needs to change:

• Increased government funding for special education and mental health services.

• Faster, more effective EHCP processes that genuinely reflect children’s needs.

• Better training for teachers to recognise and support neurodivergent students.

• A complete overhaul of CAMHS to provide real, timely intervention rather than referrals to nowhere.

• A stronger focus on the mental health and well-being of parents and carers, ensuring that they receive the support they need to care for their children.

The system is broken, but with concerted effort, it can be rebuilt. We must prioritise the mental health of children, support parents and carers, and ensure that every child receives the help they deserve—before it's too late. We can start by advocating for better resources, pushing for policy reform, and ensuring no child is left behind.