NHS diagnoses may reach fewer than one in 15 south London teens with mental disorders
Fewer than one in 15 young people in south London estimated to have a mental health disorder may have received a diagnosis from NHS mental health services, according to a new study from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London.
A new study from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King's College London finds that fewer than one in 15 young people in south London with mental health disorders may have received a diagnosis from NHS mental health services. Researchers compared NHS diagnosis records from 2009 to 2024 with population estimates based on the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, which included over 2,000 17-year-olds in south London.
The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health—Europe, reveals that while the proportion of 17-year-olds diagnosed with any mental health disorder increased from 2.6% in 2009 to 4.4% in 2024, only fewer than one in 15 young people with these disorders received a diagnosis from NHS services. The diagnostic gap is particularly pronounced among girls and minority ethnic groups.
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