Report Shows Changes in Mental Health Care for Young People in Wales

Published: 7 July 2022

A study from the Health Foundation’s Networked Data Lab (NDL) has revealed some important facts about mental health support for young people in Wales, England, and Scotland. The research looked at local areas, including Wales, and pointed out three key issues that need more attention:

1. More People Are Seeing GPs and Using Medication: More young people are visiting their doctors (GPs) for mental health support and being prescribed medication.
2. Young Women Are Most Affected: Teenage girls and young women are more likely to take antidepressants, seek support, and face mental health crises compared to boys.
3. Poverty Makes a Big Difference: In the poorest areas, young people are more likely to experience serious mental health crises and get more prescriptions.

For Wales, the study showed some worrying patterns:

• Girls aged 16–19 are the most likely to experience a mental health crisis and need urgent help.
• In 2019, girls aged 11–15 and young women aged 16–19 were twice as likely as boys their age to have a mental health crisis.
• Mental health problems are much more common in the poorest areas, with young people from these areas nearly twice as likely to have a crisis than those from wealthier places.

The report also highlights that more and more young people across the UK are struggling with their mental health. Even though services are growing, they’re not expanding fast enough to help everyone, leaving many young people without the support they need. It also points out that we still don’t have enough information about who gets the help—and, just as importantly, who doesn’t.

The people behind the report are calling for more resources to prevent mental health problems, especially for those most at risk. They also say GPs need more help, as they are facing big staff shortages while more young people are relying on them for support. Better data collection and analysis will help decision-makers understand where services are needed most and how to tackle health inequalities.

Prof. Alisha Davis, who leads the project in Wales, said:
“The data we’ve gathered in Wales has shown how useful it is to link different sources of information. By combining data from emergency services, health care, and social care, we can better understand young people’s mental health here. This work will help guide actions to improve support where it’s needed most.”

Charles Tallack, Director of Data Analytics at the Health Foundation, said:
“The study shows that we urgently need to look into the reasons behind the worsening mental health of young women, the impact of poverty on mental health, and the rise in medication use and GP visits. Children and young people need more support than ever, but the data we have isn’t enough to know exactly where services are falling short. Better information will help target the right areas, plan services more effectively, and improve mental health for young people across the UK.”