Youth Futures responds to the review on mental health conditions, ADHD and autism

"We welcome the Fonagy review’s report into the prevalence of mental health conditions, ADHD and autism, which provides timely new evidence to an issue of growing importance. In particular, the review’s recognition that the rise in poor mental health among young people is genuine is a significant and important conclusion.

"This finding aligns with our own analysis, 'Understanding drivers of recent trends in young people’s mental health', published last year, which found a sharp rise in the number of young people reporting poor mental health since 2010, with rates remaining stubbornly high today. Crucially, the evidence increasingly shows that the impact of this rise extends far beyond health outcomes alone. Poor mental health acts as a significant barrier to accessing education, employment and training opportunities for young people and the immediacy of this challenge is reflected in the fact that nearly half of the 1 in 8 young people not earning or learning report having a disability, with mental health conditions being the most cited issue.

"At the same time, the review rightly highlights the positive relationship between participation in good work or education and a young person’s health. We therefore welcome its call for the future system of support for young people with mental health, ADHD and autism to make better employment outcomes for these young people a central measure of success. Importantly, this recognises the system-wide action needed to better support young people, with integrated approaches across public policy and practice, bringing together employment, health, care, education and welfare to address the current fragmented landscape.

"Building a stronger understanding of the factors behind the increase in young people seeking support for autism and ADHD, who also experience poorer employment, education and training outcomes, must also be part of next steps, to ensure their needs are better understood and addressed in policy responses.

"As the What Works Centre for Youth Employment, we will continue to work closely with government, employers, partners, and young people themselves, to provide further evidence that supports a systems change approach, ensuring all young people can access holistic support to achieve and sustain good work."

Chris Goulden, Deputy CEO