New research shows increasing numbers of people in England with a common mental health condition
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A major new report, published by NHS England, shows that mental health conditions are increasing across the adult population in England, with young adults remaining a key group and those in deprived circumstances among the most affected.
This research is the fifth in a series, led by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), in collaboration with the University of Leicester and City St George's, University of London.
Findings from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS), commissioned by NHS England, reveal that 22.6% of adults aged 16 to 64 were identified with a common mental health condition, such as depression and anxiety. This has increased from 18.9% in 2014 and 17.6% in 2007, with prevalence higher in women than men at each point.
Other key findings include:• 25.8% of young adults (aged 16 to 24) were identified with a common mental health condition in 2023/4, up from 17.5% in 2007
• Lifetime non-suicidal self-harm more than doubled from 3.8% in 2007 to 10.3% in 2023/4
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was more commonly reported among younger adults and those experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage
Professor Terry Brugha, from the University of Leicester’s Population Health Sciences department is jointly leading the survey with (NatCen).
He said: “In spite of considerable increases in the availability and the use of psychological and medical treatments for acute and common mental health problems since 1993 when these surveys began, we are not seeing reductions in the number of people affected with these problems. Australia and the Netherlands are investing substantially in mental health prevention programmes and research, which we also need to be doing here in England.
“It’s vitally important we understand who is most likely to develop a disorder and who is most likely to access support for this so that we can begin to tackle the issues and fill in the gaps. This is Leicester research impacting directly on national public policy.
“For years mental health was seen as a stigma, but now that’s been broken down - we’re much more aware that we can and need to look for help. This survey will help by looking at contributory factors and by measuring trends over time.”
Doctor Sam Tromans and Professor Terry Brugha
The APMS is the only survey programme of its kind which aims to gather vital data related to an entire country.
It is looking at health issues including disability, physical health, pain, lifestyle and life events, to determine how they affect a person’s overall mental health. The University of Leicester’s work on the survey is funded using £1.3 million from the Department for Health and Social Care.
The survey shows that socioeconomic inequalities also add to the burden of mental health, with those unemployed and/or with debt more likely to have a mental health condition, report lifetime non-suicidal self-harm and to screen positive for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as well as those diagnosed with a physical health condition that limits their activities.
Dr Zoe Morgan, Research Psychologist at the University of Leicester, said: “Common mental health conditions were associated with living in the most deprived areas, having problem debt, and being unemployed or economically inactive with prevalence higher in the most deprived fifth of areas (26.2%) than in the least deprived fifth of areas (16%). These findings demonstrate a clear association between economic hardship and mental health problems.”
More than 7,000 adults across England were interviewed about their mental health as part of the latest survey by NatCen. The University of Leicester research team has completed interviews and examinations of over 900 people to examine more complex conditions. Some of these findings will appear in Part 2 of the 2023/24 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, released in Autumn 2025.
Dr Sam Tromans, Consultant Psychiatrist and Epidemiologist at the University of Leicester, added: “The association between physical and mental health conditions reported in the survey strongly reflects what I see in clinical practice as an NHS psychiatrist. Some 32.9% of people with a physical health condition that limited their activities had a common mental health condition, compared with 12.6% of those without a limiting physical health condition. This underlines a need for all clinicians to have a thorough grounding in both disciplines.”Findings from the survey aim to shape and improve national planning for health and support services.
Dr Zoe Morgan