Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of disparities between (a) regions and (b) urban and rural areas in the level of mental health among young people.

The Department routinely monitors mental health inequalities through robust population-based prevalence surveys. The National Health Service Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey (MHCYPS) provides critical insights into youth mental health prevalence and associated risk factors. The 2020 survey found significant regional variation in the prevalence of probable mental disorders in children aged between five and 16 in England, ranging from 10.0% in London to 20.5% in the West Midlands.

For adults, the 2023/24 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, which covers people aged 16 and over, also found regional differences in common mental health conditions. People in the North East (24.6%) and East Midlands (24.6%) were more likely to have a common mental health condition than those in the South East (16.3%) and South West (18.7%).

Narrowing mental health inequalities is a key commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan. We are piloting neighbourhood mental health centres around the country, in both rural and urban areas, and making it easier than ever before to receive mental health support via the NHS app.