The majority (64%) of young adults in Britain say they have experienced mental health difficulties, with a third (32%) expecting to need support in the coming year, according to polling commissioned from YouGov by UCL's Grand Challenge of Mental Health & Wellbeing.
The academics say the findings highlight the need for more research and support into early intervention and prevention of mental health disorders.
The survey of people aged 16-25 in Britain found that two-thirds (64%) of young adults report having experienced or currently experiencing mental health difficulties. This is highest amongst 20-21-year-olds, where 40% say they are currently experiencing difficulties and a further 31% say they have in the past. Women are more likely to say they have experienced mental health difficulties (72% vs 56% among men).
Around a third (32%) of those surveyed said they are likely to need mental health support in the next 12 months.
When asked what negatively affects their mental health, respondents cited a wide range of factors. School/college/university and financial pressures were cited most often, by 17% and 16% of respondents, respectively - although those who are neither in work nor education are more likely to say they are currently experiencing mental health difficulties (47% compared to 32% of the total sample). UCL researchers have previously identified that academic pressure or proximity to exams is linked with mental health issues among young people.1
Professor Essi Viding (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences), UCL Grand Challenges Pro-Vice Provost (Mental Health & Wellbeing), said: "Our survey findings align with research indicating that it is common for young people to experience mental health difficulties2. These findings may, in part, reflect increased awareness and improved identification of mental health problems.
"We need more research to understand how we can prevent mental health problems from emerging and how we can support those with the most serious needs to access quick and effective evidence-based support. Such support can include school-based social and emotional skills interventions targeted at young people with mild to moderate mental health challenges, something that my group is currently researching. For more serious mental health challenges both psychological and pharmacological treatments may be appropriate."
Most people (86%) who had experienced mental health difficulties say they had sought support, although men are more likely than women to say they had not approached anyone for advice or help (16% vs 7%).
Amongst those who have experienced mental health difficulties, people were generally more likely to seek informal sources of help such as their friends (53%) and family (47%), over professional help. Among those who had sought support, 88% supported by friends said they found it helpful, and 70% who were supported by family members said they found it helpful.
People who had been helped by a private therapist (74%) were likely to find the support helpful, but the satisfaction ratings for NHS therapists (56%) or GPs (53%) were less favourable. Of those who were sufficiently unwell to have a referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), 69% found it unhelpful. However, the academics say this may reflect the level of severity of mental health symptoms experienced by those who are being referred to CAMHS or require NHS support.
Professor Argyris Stringaris (UCL Psychiatry), who is also a UCL Grand Challenges Pro-Vice Provost (Mental Health & Wellbeing), commented: "More work is needed to evaluate the severity and need that arises out of young people's reported problems, and to carefully consider prevention and early intervention strategies. It is also likely that different groups and different communities report problems differently, and evaluation and intervention should be tailored accordingly. The term "mental health difficulties" itself is a quite broad and can encompass a variety of experiences, not all of which need to amount to mental illness.
"Also, whilst some interventions have proven efficacy, not all interventions will be helpful to everybody and some may even be harmful. Refining the tools that will allow us to predict who needs support for mental health and of what type is acutely needed."
Professor Stringaris and colleagues published a study this summer finding that talking therapy offered by the NHS for people with depression or anxiety appears to be less effective for people aged 16-24 than those aged 25-65.3
He commented: "While mental health treatments such as talking therapies are effective for young people, we found that NHS Talking Therapies are less effective for them than they are for older people, so we need to find better ways to tailor treatments to young people.
"It's clear that cross-disciplinary work is required to tackle these problems, and UCL is pioneering these approaches, exemplified by our colleague's work in designing and piloting a new social prescribing pathway for young people receiving mental health support,4 and other colleagues who work on the development of pharmacological treatments at UCL.5"
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,545 adults aged 16-25. Fieldwork was undertaken between 13th June - 7th July 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all young GB adults (aged 16-25).
The polling was commissioned by UCL's Grand Challenge of Mental Health & Wellbeing, an initiative that seeks to improve mental health and wellbeing through transformative cross-disciplinary research, practice and partnerships for prevention and early intervention.
1 UCL News, 2023: Link found between academic pressure and mental health problems in adolescence
2UCL News, 2025: NHS talking therapy is less effective for younger adults
3UCL News: 2025: Increase in mental illness symptoms among young people: The increase in mental ill-health symptoms is outpacing the increase in recorded diagnoses, suggesting that mental health care services are not keeping up with the rise in demand. The increased mental illness diagnoses are not just the result of increased awareness and help-seeking behaviour.
4National Centre for Social Prescribing Data and Analysis at UCL, supported by Grand Challenges
5 Ongoing UCL-led clinical trial investigating which antidepressants work for which patients
