Lincolnshire County Council figures reveal 21,000 children have diagnosable mental health condition

Nearly 21,000 children and young people in Lincolnshire are believed to have a diagnosable mental health condition, Lincolnshire County Council reports.

During a Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee meeting on Friday, officials reviewed the initial two phases of the significant CYP Mental Health Transformation Programme, which was launched in 2022 with the goal of restructuring local services.

The programme provided several key findings, including that an estimated 20,700 children and young people in Lincolnshire were expected to have a diagnosable mental health condition as of December 2023.

However, only 8,290 of these individuals were in contact with mental health services.

The report also noted that boys aged six to 10 years old are more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder, while girls aged 17 to 23 years old are also at a high risk.

LGBTQ+ children and young people are also more likely to engage in self-harm or attempt suicide.

The analysis further revealed regional disparities: both South and North Kesteven, which are among the least deprived areas in Lincolnshire, have a higher demand for mental health services.

In contrast, East Lindsey, which has some of the most deprived wards, shows the lowest number of referrals to these services.

The report further highlighted a significant prevalence of anxiety and stress among children and young people (CYP) in Lincolnshire, identifying these issues as the main reasons for referrals to Healthy Minds Lincolnshire, Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), and Kooth.

It noted that the highest number of referrals occurs among CYP in Key Stages 2, 3, and 4, which include ages seven to 16 years.

During the discussion, Coun Tom Smith (Conservative) highlighted points from the report stating that the UK has one of the highest rates of children and young people with long-term conditions—23% as of 2020.

The councillor later pointed out that 75% of mental health problems are established before the age of 24, illustrating the significance of addressing what he described as a “generational mental health problem.”

“This is a systemic issue across CYP and if we don’t get a grip on this, we are going to have a generational mental health problem on our hands,” he said.

Coun Ashley Baxter (Independent) argued that the statistics underscore the necessity for improved youth engagement.

He said: “Part of the reason we have so many children with mental health problems is lack of youth work and pressure in school.

“If more children were happy in school and joining local clubs, we would have happier children and less financial pressure on the county.”