The Educator Magazine U.K. Jan-April 2023. - Magazine - Page 38
Rate of mental disorders
among 17 to 19 year olds
increased in 2022, new
report shows
One in four 17 to 19 year olds in England had a probable
mental disorder in 2022 – an increase from one in six in 2021.
The Mental Health of Children and
Young People in England 2022 report,
published today by NHS Digital,
showed that among 17 to 19 year
olds, the proportion with a probable
mental disorder1 increased from
17.4% in 2021 to 25.7% in 2022.
This report explores the mental
health of children and young people
in England in 2022 and how this has
changed from 2017, 2020 and 20212.
Views and experiences of family life,
education, household circumstances,
services and employment are examined.
In 2017, 10.1% of 17 to 19 years olds
had a probable mental disorder – the
rate increased to 17.7% in 2020 but
remained stable between 2020 and
2021, when it was 17.4%.
Among 7 to 16 year olds, the
proportion with a probable mental
disorder was 18.0% in 2022 – up from
12.1% in 2017 but a similar rate to
2020 when it was 16.7% and 2021
when it was 17.8%.
In 2022, among those aged 7 to 10,
prevalence of a probable mental
disorder was nearly twice as high
in boys (19.7%) as in girls (10.5%).
Rates of a probable mental disorder
were similar in boys (18.8%) and girls
(22.0%) aged 11 to 16. Among 17 to
24 year olds, the prevalence was much
higher in young women (31.2%) than
young men (13.3%).
The findings draw on a sample of
2,866 children and young people
who are now aged between 7 and 24
years old3, while information was also
provided by parents for children aged
7 to 16. This publication is part of a
series of follow up reports to the 2017
Mental Health of Children and Young
People in England survey4.
The survey, commissioned by NHS
Digital, was caried out earlier this year
by the Office for National Statistics
(ONS), the National Centre for Social
Research (NatCen)5, University of
Cambridge and University of Exeter.