Invest in childhood or risk losing a generation to poor mental health

The Government must “invest in childhood” or risk losing the next generation to poor mental health, a charity has warned.

A new report by the Centre for Mental Health said poor mental health as a child “casts a long shadow into the future”, and can often lead chronic mental and physical health issues in adulthood.

It also claims preventing mental health issues is “highly cost-effective”, and a proactive approach by the Government “can significantly improve mental health outcomes and generate substantial economic savings”.

The report, Invest in Childhood, said mental health is a “critical issue for babies, children and young people”.

According to NHS data, about one in five children and young adults aged eight to 25 in England had a probable mental disorder in 2023.

This included about a fifth of eight to 16-year-olds, almost a quarter (23.3%) of 17 to 19-year-olds and 21.7% of 20 to 25-year-olds.

The charity calls for a “whole system preventative approach to mental health” that “could yield substantial savings by addressing issues before they escalate into more severe problems”.

This would involve integrating sectors such as education, healthcare, social care and community organisations, the report said.

It highlights six areas that require action, including providing effective mental health support during pregnancy and early parenthood, and bringing in policies focusing on tackling inter-generational trauma, particularly in families that have experienced racism.

Elsewhere, the report said early years childcare, schools and colleges “play a vital role” in promoting good mental health, while secure housing and employment are “crucial” for young adults.

Andy Bell, chief executive at Centre for Mental Health, said: “Mental health difficulties among children and young people are both common and serious.

“They cause deep distress for children and their families. They cast a long shadow over a child’s life.”

Among the recommendations laid out in the report is a call for the Government to tackle the “social determinants” of children’s mental health by taking action in areas such as child poverty and violence against women and girls.

It also calls for investment in community mental health promotion, evidence-based parenting programmes, improving mental health support for new mothers, and expanding the health visitor and school nurse workforce.

Some recommendations “require targeted spending”, the report said, while “others require a shift in the way policies are created, and will not create additional costs but rather use existing resources more effectively”.

It added: “All of these actions are far less costly than allowing young people’s needs to escalate until they require specialist care or face financial adversity and lifelong disadvantage.”

It comes as previous analysis by the Centre for Mental Health showed the impact of childhood mental health problems could lead to £1 trillion in lost earnings across the generation.

Mr Bell said: “Preventing mental health problems is highly cost-effective. It saves money and lives. Our report identifies actions the Government can take now to shift towards prevention.

“From boosting health visiting and parenting programmes, to helping schools become mentally healthier places to learn, it can affect a sea change in the next generation’s mental health. Investing in childhood is worth every penny.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Every child should have access to support, which is why we are working to ensure children receive high quality mental health support close to home.

“We have already announced £26 million to open new mental health crisis centres, are recruiting 8,500 additional mental health workers and putting a specialist mental health professional in every school in England.

“Through our Plan for Change, we will raise the healthiest generation of children in our history by reforming the NHS to give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health.”

Published: 08/04/2025 by Radio NewsHub