Mental Health Statistics UK: Recent Trends and How to Respond

Content warning: This article contains references to self-harm and suicide.

Mental health is a hot topic at the moment, and for good reason. With mental health problems on the rise in the UK (particularly among the younger population), we must prioritise early intervention and reduce the stigma that still prevents many people from seeking help.

With this aim in mind, we have collated a selection of recent statistics on mental health and neurodivergence, organised according to topic. We hope you will find them helpful as you embark on your mental health journey or support the people in your life.

Stress Statistics

Feeling stressed is a valid reason to reach out for help; you don’t need to be in crisis. Stress is a natural human response to challenge, but when it becomes chronic, it can affect our wellbeing, relationships, and work lives. These statistics show just how common it has become in modern life and how many people are struggling in silence.

• 91% of people say they have experienced an overwhelming amount of stress in the last year. (Mental Health UK)
• 39% of employees aged 18-24 years old took time off work because of stress. (Mental Health UK)
• 21% of employees overall took time off work because of stress. (Mental Health UK)
• Over one-third of employees don’t feel like they can let their manager know that they are stressed. (Mental Health UK)
• 8 in 10 trade union representatives say that stress is a leading workplace concern. (TUC)

Anxiety and Depression Statistics

If left untreated, chronic stress can transition into anxiety or even depression. These are among the most common mental health problems people face, and they can feel incredibly isolating when you are in the thick of them.

• 62% of people who seek out talking therapy do so because of anxiety. (BACP)
• Women report depression diagnoses at almost double the rate of men (20.5% vs 12.3%), with a similar pattern for anxiety diagnoses (18.2% vs 10.0%). (Our Future Health)
• In 2025, nearly 20% of adults experienced moderate to severe depressive symptoms. (Office of National Statistics)
• High anxiety levels were reported by about one in three adults (34%), particularly affecting women (37%) and younger adults aged 16-29 (42%). (Office for National Statistics)

Young People’s Mental Health Statistics

From navigating modern technology to climate anxiety, children and young people face unique challenges in the 21st century. The statistics below demonstrate how these modern stressors, alongside the normal difficulties of adolescence, are affecting young people’s wellbeing.

• 20% of young people aged 8-25 years old suffer from a probable mental disorder. (NHS)
• Approximately 55% of young people cite climate change as a significant contributor to their anxiety. (NHS)
• 66% of young people say that social media has a detrimental effect on their mental health. (Young Minds)
• Young survey respondents aged 18-29 were over four times more likely to report depression symptoms in the previous two weeks compared to those over 80 (52.3% vs 12.8%). (Our Future Health)

Neurodivergence Statistics

At The Dawn Practice, we celebrate the kaleidoscope of people that make up our neurodiverse society. Every brain is different, and that is okay—in fact, it is good! Instead of focusing primarily on “deficits” of neurodivergence or categorising it with disorder-based language, we highlight unique strengths while providing therapeutic support for common challenges.

• It is estimated that 3-4% of people in the UK are ADHDers. (NICE)
• 3-5% of the UK population are dyspraxic to some degree. (NHS)
• Autism accounts for 1-2% of people, around 700,000 in the UK. (National Autistic Society)
• Approximately 10% of people are dyslexic. (NHS)
• Over half of neurodivergent employees have taken time off work due to their neurodivergence. (City and Guilds Foundation)
• 30% of neurodivergent employees say their workplace has a neurodiversity employee resource group. (City and Guilds Foundation)
• 35% of neurodivergent employees do not know how to access support. (City and Guilds Foundation)

Suicide and Self-harm Statistics

The following are perhaps the hardest statistics to read; these are not numbers on a page, but real people who have faced genuine suffering. Suicide and self-harm are complex issues influenced by mental health conditions, life circumstances, access to support, and how safe people feel reaching out. If the following reflects your own experience or that of a loved one, please know that help is available, and recovery is possible.

• Autistic people are up to eight times more likely to die by suicide than neurotypical people. (Springer Nature Link)
• 7,147 people died by suicide in the UK in 2024. (House of Commons Library)
• 8.6% of women attempt suicide, compared to 6.9% of men. (NHS)
• Paradoxically, men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women. (House of Commons Library)
• A quarter of adults have had suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives. (NHS)
• Compared to straight or heterosexual individuals, those identifying as LGB+ are at 2.5 times greater risk of intentional self-harm. (Office of National Statistics)
• Only 3.6% young males and 5.6% of young females who self-harm seek out medical care. (National Library of Medicine)

Mental Health Service Statistics

Reaching out for help is often the hardest step, yet it’s also one of the most important. While many people trust that loved ones will be there for them, far fewer actually seek mental health treatment. For those who do, long waiting lists can prevent them from receiving support when they need it.

• Only 25% of adults experiencing moderate to severe depression seek help from a mental health professional. (Office of National Statistics)
• 7 in 10 adults experiencing depression believe they will receive help from their loved ones if they need it. (Office of National Statistics)
• From 2023-2024, there were 2.8 million adult community mental health service referrals made. (Mind)
• A third of those waiting for mental health appointments say their mental health became worse during the wait. (Mind)
• 90% of NHS autism referrals have been open for 13 weeks or more. (NHS)

Positive Mental Health Statistics

The preceding statistics may paint a gloomy picture, but there are a few rays of sunshine peeping through. There are many easy and practical ways that people are improving their mental health, and it seems that our workplaces and communities are becoming more compassionate towards mental health challenges.

• 67% of adults look after their mental health by spending time outdoors. (Office of National Statistics)
• 75% of workplaces provide access to mental health support. (People Management)
• Around three-quarters of people who have received mental health counselling say they have benefited from it and would recommend it to family and friends. (BACP)
• Stigma for seeking talking therapy support has dropped from 46% in 2022 to 42% in 2025. (BACP)

Mental Health Support is Available at The Dawn Practice

If you are experiencing poor mental health or would like support navigating neurodivergence, The Dawn Practice is here for you. Our compassionate clinicians have decades of experience helping many different kinds of people understand themselves better while developing tools to help with daily life challenges.

Whether you’re seeking diagnosis, ongoing therapy, or simply a safe space to explore your mental wellbeing, we tailor our approach to your unique needs. As awareness of mental health problems and neurodivergences grows, increasingly more people are benefiting from professional guidance that helps them live their lives to the full.

Reach out for the support you need and book a meeting today.