Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Department has made of the potential causes of recent trends in levels of crisis‑level mental health referrals among children.

To understand the rises in prevalence and demand on mental health services, the Government has launched an independent review into mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism. The review will examine the evidence around what is driving rising demand, including determining which trends reflect real increases in disorder, which reflect changes in awareness or access, and which are artefacts of measurement or definition.

The review will look at prevalence, early intervention, and treatment, and the current challenges facing clinical services. It will also explore the extent to which diagnosis, medicalisation, and treatment improve outcomes. In addition, the review will look beyond the National Health Service to examine data across education, employment, housing, and digital culture to understand how they interact and where intervention can make the greatest difference.