Young people in the North East are reaching a "crisis point" as the number of children being hospitalised due to their mental health increases.

The UK faces "significant" disparities when it comes to the mental health of young people, it has been warned, as children across the country face disparities when it comes to services.

The Education Policy Institute (EPI) found that the range of services available does not appear to be related to the number of young people in an area.

The think tank said NHS England data shows the number of young people aged 11 to 25 admitted to hospital for mental health reasons rose by a fifth to around 150,000 between 2017 and 2023.

Admission episodes rose by around a third during the same period, which suggests more young people are “reaching a crisis point and experiencing multiple admissions”, according to the report.

This news comes less than a year after it was discovered that children in Darlington are having to wait up to three years for mental health help from the CAMHS service.

Peter Gibson, former MP for Darlington, spoke in December 2023 about the "unacceptable" waits children in the region are facing to get access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), a service run by the NHS. 

Now, the EPI study has investigated the availability of non-specialist mental health services – those delivered outside NHS community mental health settings and inpatient settings – for young people.

These include drop-in services, wellbeing cafes, peer support and youth groups, and services provided through schools.

Researchers found significant geographical variation in the range of non-specialist services available to young people as well as in levels of awareness around the services that exist.

In some of the most deprived areas of the country, including in the North and around Birmingham, health commissioners and local authorities could not provide the think tank with information on these services.

Vulnerable young people, including those who identify as LGBT+ and those from ethnic minority groups, are particularly underserved when it comes to targeted services, according to the report.

MP for Darlington Lola McEvoy has now called for the re-building of mental health services and highlighted the impact that social media and particularly cyberbullying can have.

She said: “Years of underfunding of our education system and of child mental health support services, thrown in with cuts to programmes like Sure Start, have had a really damaging domino effect on our children.

“Add to that the undeniable impact of the internet and social media - we can all remember examples of bullying at school and how damaging it was. Now imagine taking that home with you in your pocket and being unable to escape it. It’s something I know a lot of parents are worried about. 

“This is one of the many reasons I have launched Darlington’s first online safety forum with school leaders across the town - and it’s why I want children’s voices to be at the heart of it. Only they can truly tell us what they’re experiencing and only then can we truly know how best to help them.

“But we need practical help in our health system too - currently waiting times are enormous and that means professional help is often not there at the crucial time children most need it. That’s why I have committed to ensuring a mental health appointment within a month for anyone in Darlington who needs it. 

“Our NHS is in a desperate state thanks to 14 years of Tory recklessness so this will take time, but thankfully the calm, measured work of rebuilding public services that meet our needs is now underway.”

The think tank has now called for the rollout of Young Futures Hubs, a key pillar of the Government’s programme to support young people’s mental health, to address gaps in support.

The Government should commission research exploring the availability of non-specialist services for young people’s mental health – including early intervention – and the extent to which these are meeting needs, the report said.

Whitney Crenna-Jennings, associate director for mental health, wellbeing and inclusion at EPI, said: “Our data shows significant geographical disparities in the range of available services, particularly for underserved groups.

“It is concerning that in many areas, commissioners and providers of services do not appear to be fully aware of what services exist.

“This patchy landscape and governance, combined with increasing numbers of young people reaching a crisis point, underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of services delivered outside of specialist settings and their effectiveness in meeting young people’s diverse needs.”

Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said the findings about young people being admitted to hospital for their mental health were “shocking”.

He said: “This mirrors concerns raised by school leaders who report that pupils often face great difficulty in accessing NHS mental health support services, resulting in their condition deteriorating into a medical emergency.

“Seven years ago the previous government published plans which were supposed to improve matters, but instead the situation appears to have worsened.

“The new Government must ensure that those in need can access support promptly, no matter where they live.

“As a matter of urgency, it must deliver on its manifesto commitment to provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.”

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: “This postcode lottery for mental health provision for young people is worrying.

“We know that across the board CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) are struggling with the increase in demand and unable to meet needs, leaving too many in crisis.

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“Schools do not have the resources or staff to continue carrying the weight of a broken system. They should not be expected to pick up the pieces of a breakdown in mental health support any longer.”

A Government spokesperson said: “Under the broken NHS that we have inherited young people are not getting the support that they need.

“We will ensure there is access to a specialist mental health professional in every school, will recruit 8,500 more mental health workers across children’s and adult services and will also roll out the new Young Futures programme to boost opportunities for our young people.”