Young people’s mental health has reached a critical tipping point. Over the past decade, rates of poor mental health have soared, with demand for ADHD and autism services rising sharply. Lord Darzi’s independent review of the NHS revealed that by September 2025, 13 times more people were waiting for an autism assessment compared to April 2019. Young people in care face even greater risks, often carrying trauma from before entering care and during transitions out of it.

While public debate has focused on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) capacity and fears of overmedicalisation, there is growing consensus that current systems are failing to address root causes. Environmental and social determinants, poverty, instability, exclusion, are central drivers of mental ill health. Tackling these issues requires structural reform, not just individual-level interventions.

The government’s independent review into mental health, ADHD, and autism prevalence aims to uncover these systemic factors and propose strategies for prevention, early intervention, and resilience-building. Legislative efforts, such as the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, and Ofsted’s new wellbeing priorities signal progress. Yet, these measures remain modest compared to the scale of the crisis. Institutional responses are too slow and too narrow, leaving young people’s voices sidelined in shaping solutions.

As a result, our recent Elevating Young People’s Voices in Healthcare Summit in November 2025, called for bold reform around:

• Embedding young people’s lived experience at the heart of policy and service design.
• Rebalancing investment toward prevention and community-based support.
• Transforming education and care systems to prioritise wellbeing and inclusion.

The question is no longer whether reform is needed, it is how quickly and how radically we can act to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to thrive.

What Do Young People Want?

In an era where young people have instant access to unfiltered information, it is inconceivable that any effective policy impacting their lives could be designed without their direct involvement. At the recent Child Health Summit, the 42nd Street Young People Ambassadors presented their Manifesto, clearly articulating what meaningful change requires:

• Respect for rights, dignity, and autonomy
• Targeted support for employment opportunities
• A fundamental shift in understanding and supporting disability
• Action to address deep-rooted inequalities

None of these ambitions can be realised without placing young people’s voices at the heart of policy and practice. Their dialogue with practitioners and Manchester Met academics created a vital reflection space on what it would take to achieve a culture shift in mental health support, moving beyond transactional service delivery toward authentic, human-centred engagement.

What Are Young People’s Priorities?

Young people’s top priority is simple yet profound: to be listened to. Beyond that, their aspirations extend to education, employment, and social services, areas they see as more critical to their future than health alone. If these changes occur, young people expect to feel better connected, valued, and part of a bigger picture, rather than withdrawing from institutions they perceive as oppressive and outdated.

A recent Edge Foundation report revealed that nearly 50% of 15–16-year-olds find school alienating, neither enjoyable nor meaningful, something they feel they must “get through” because of its bearing on their future. These findings echo Daniel Pink’s argument in Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us: traditional “carrot-and-stick” approaches no longer work. Instead, young people need:

• Autonomy – control over their learning and choices
• Mastery – the ability to develop skills that matter
• Purpose – a sense of contributing to something bigger

Frequent policy changes in education and employment have amplified uncertainty about the future, compounding other systemic pressures on mental health. Young people need greater predictability, clear post-16 pathways, and honest conversations about alternatives to the academic route.

How Can Research Contribute to Addressing the Mental Health Crisis Amongst Young People?

This analysis points to a clear conclusion: incremental change is not enough. A fundamental shift is needed in how young people are treated and supported across health, education, career services, and social care, ensuring that every young person receives meaningful, dignified support to thrive.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child provides a powerful framework, placing children’s views at the heart of policy and practice. Yet, its implementation remains uneven and often symbolic rather than transformative.

Research can play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between young people’s lived experiences and policy-making processes. Co-designed and co-produced research ensures that policies are not only evidence-based but relevant, effective, and sustainable. By listening to young people’s visions and imaginaries of the future, research can help rekindle hope and create pathways for systemic reform.

In short, research is not just about generating knowledge, it is about mediating dialogue, shaping culture, and driving change. When young people’s voices inform the evidence base, policy becomes a tool for empowerment rather than control.

So we believe the message is clear: reform cannot be achieved through structural tweaks alone. It demands a transformation in values, culture, and practice, where young people are not passive recipients but active partners in shaping the systems that serve them.