Thousands of most vulnerable children and young people missing out on mental health support Craig Brierley Wed, 09/16/2026 - 00:01 Despite children and young people on child protection plans or in care being significantly more likely to have serious mental health issues, less than one in five of these individuals had contact with mental health services in a given year.In England, just under one in five (18%) children or young people are estimated to have a probable mental health disorder. A third of mental health problems start before 14 years, so getting timely access to appropriate mental health services is a key priority. Yet, fewer than half of children and young people with a probable m...