Parents facing barriers and delays in getting mental health help for children

Two in five parents who have sought help for their child’s mental health said they did not get the required support, according to a survey.

The Children’s Society said the polling showed the “barriers and delays” parents and children are facing in the current system.

The charity said its survey of 3,000 parents in England and Wales whose children are aged between four and 17 “reveals a system struggling to keep pace with soaring demand”.

Just more than a third of all parents (38%) said they had sought help for their children, and of that proportion around 41% reported they “did not receive the support they needed”.

Of all parents, more than three-quarters (77%) said their child’s school offers mental health support, but only 32% said it was available full-time.

More than half (53%) of parents turned to schools for help first, followed by GPs (39%), while a third (33%) of parents said they would go to private therapists or counsellors for help.

About half (52%) of parents said current thresholds to get help and long waiting times are barriers preventing their children from getting the support they need.

According to NHS data, one in five children and young people experience a common mental health problem such as anxiety or depression.

The latest research comes as experts warned the Government will not boost economic growth and productivity until it tackles the mental health crisis in young people, which is costing more than £1 trillion in lost earnings.

Four mental health organisations have called on ministers “to acknowledge the scale of the crisis in children’s mental health and ignore ‘wishful thinking’ that it is exaggerated or a result of ‘over-medicalisation’”.

On the Children’s Society polling, its chief executive Mark Russell said: “Parents aren’t asking for miracles – they’re asking for basic support before problems snowball, but instead are met with barriers and delays.

“Far too many children are counting down the days to crisis this winter – their childhoods are hanging in the balance.

“Children can’t wait for weeks or months for treatment, they need immediate help before their issues hit crisis point. We must act now to ensure every child has access to the mental health care they need.”

A Government spokesperson said: “Children with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they deserve, which is why this Government will fix the broken system and ensure mental health is given the same attention and focus as physical health.

“As part of our Plan for Change, we will dramatically increase access to mental health support and create the healthiest generation of children ever.

“We will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers, and we’ve already announced £26 million to open new mental health crisis centres.”

– Censuswide polled 3,000 parents of children aged four to 17 in England and Wales in November 2024.

Published: 06/02/2025 by Radio NewsHub