Greater than 500 kids a day in England are being referred to NHS psychological well being companies for anxiousness, greater than double the speed of earlier than the pandemic started, the Guardian can reveal.

In 2023-24 there have been 204,526 new referrals of sufferers aged 17 or underneath the place the first trigger was anxiousness, official figures present. In 2019-20, the 12 months earlier than Covid-19 struck, the overall was 98,953. In 2016-17 it was 3,879.

The alarming improve means kids are actually being referred to NHS psychological well being companies in England for anxiousness at a charge of 1 each three minutes or virtually 4,000 per week.

Docs, NHS officers and well being leaders stated in interviews that the surge in anxiousness referrals was “staggering” and “stunning” and laid naked an pressing must sort out the disaster in kids’s psychological well being.

Officers stated the rise in demand for care was straining the capability of the well being service to supply well timed remedy for anxiousness, with hundreds of youngsters on “unacceptably lengthy” ready lists. Delays to remedy risked inflicting additional hurt at an important stage of their growth, they stated.

A Guardian investigation can even disclose that psychological well being leaders worry the figures might solely be the tip of the iceberg as a result of many kids aren’t looking for assist or are unable to take action, regardless of rising consciousness.

NHS knowledge doesn’t report the explanations for referrals for anxiousness, however specialists surveyed by the Guardian cited a variety of things behind the rise in kids experiencing the situation. They embody intensifying educational pressures, significantly associated to exams, the highly effective affect of social media and cyberbullying, rising pressures round look, widening inequalities, rising poverty ranges and the price of residing disaster.

Consultants stated the pandemic had precipitated “vital disruption” to kids’s lives and amplified all the opposite pressures they already confronted. Greater than 4 years after Covid first hit, many kids stay unsure in regards to the world round them and anxious about their future, the specialists stated.

Andy Bell, the chief government of the Centre for Psychological Well being, a charity, stated: “These stark figures underline the urgency of addressing kids and younger individuals’s psychological well being at this time. In the previous couple of years, particularly since 2020, there was a pointy rise within the numbers of youngsters and younger individuals reporting diagnosable ranges of psychological well being difficulties, together with anxiousness.”

Bell stated the brand new knowledge advised solely part of the story. Many kids affected weren’t looking for assist regardless of rising consciousness, he stated, “so these figures are more likely to be the tip of the iceberg”.

Emma Paveley, an interim assistant director of the NHS Confederation’s psychological well being community, stated: “These figures present a staggering rise within the variety of kids and younger individuals being referred for anxiousness remedy.”

Whereas among the improve might be attributed to extra knowledge being submitted by NHS organisations or colleges providing psychological well being assist, Paveley stated it was clear that prevalence in kids had elevated, “with a major rise in the course of the pandemic and following the price of residing disaster”.

Docs stated that even with wider consciousness and extra methods to entry assist, there was little doubt extra kids have been affected by anxiousness than ever earlier than.

“This knowledge tallies with what GPs are reporting from the frontline: rising numbers of youngsters and younger individuals presenting with signs of hysteria and different associated psychological well being circumstances,” stated Dr Victoria Tzortziou Brown, a vice-chair of the Royal Faculty of GPs.

Dr Elaine Lockhart, the chair of the Royal Faculty of Psychiatrists’ little one and adolescent college, stated medical doctors in England had seen first-hand “a dramatic rise within the variety of kids and younger individuals experiencing anxiousness” lately.

Bell stated there have been more likely to be a number of contributing elements. “Our analysis signifies that educational pressures, significantly these associated to exams, have intensified within the final decade. Rising ranges of poverty and inequality have additionally contributed to elevated anxiousness amongst kids and younger individuals, together with elements similar to monetary stress inside households and the influence of racism. Proof additionally means that on-line harms, similar to cyberbullying and pressures round look, are relentless and might gasoline anxiousness in kids.

“The pandemic has amplified these pressures on kids and younger individuals by disrupting their routines and rising emotions of isolation and uncertainty in regards to the world and their futures.”

With extra kids being referred for anxiousness, many face lengthy waits for assist, Bell stated.

Paveley stated some kids have been “having to attend far too lengthy” to start out remedy. “Our members additionally inform us that demand for care is outstripping their capability to supply remedy, which is a giant concern.”

Lockhart stated psychological well being companies have been struggling to handle rising demand for anxiousness, with many kids on “unacceptably lengthy” ready lists. “This will trigger additional hurt at an important time of their lives and lead to them growing extra entrenched difficulties which take longer to deal with,” she stated.

Tzortziou Brown stated ministers ought to urgently deal with the lengthy ready lists for anxiousness. Bell known as for a complete long-term plan to sort out the underlying causes of the deterioration in kids’s psychological well being.

Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s nationwide psychological well being director, stated psychological well being companies have been experiencing report demand as a result of kids going through “unprecedented pressures”.

“The NHS is increasing companies to deal with extra kids and younger individuals than ever earlier than, together with rolling out a whole bunch of psychological well being groups in colleges,” she stated. Any mother and father or guardians involved about their little one’s psychological well being ought to discover the Each Thoughts Issues web site for recommendation, or search assist by way of their GP or native psychological well being service, she added.

The Division of Well being and Social Care stated it deliberate to supply specialist psychological well being assist in each college and walk-in psychological well being hubs in each group.

“It’s unacceptable that too many kids and younger individuals are not receiving the care they deserve, and we all know that waits for companies are far too lengthy,” a spokesperson added. “We’re decided to alter that.”

• Within the UK, the charity Thoughts is offered on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111. Within the US, name or textual content Psychological Well being America at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. In Australia, assist is offered at Past Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978