A mental health review led by Peter Fonagy finds that rising mental illness among young people reflects genuine harms and tougher pressures, pushing back against the 'snowflake generation' narrative.
Key facts
- The review is led by Peter Fonagy, who praised the courage of young people.
- It warns of the consequences of a rising prevalence of mental illness.
- Fonagy said young people are contending with more powerful forces than he ever faced.
- A separate inquiry found the NHS at risk of 'system failures' as demand for ADHD and autism care soars.
- Former health secretary Wes Streeting apologised for calling mental health conditions 'overdiagnosed'.
A new mental health review led by Peter Fonagy has concluded that today’s young people face harder circumstances than previous generations and that the harms they experience are real, directly challenging the notion of a fragile ‘snowflake generation’, according to the Guardian.
Fonagy lauded the courage of young people and warned of the consequences of a rising prevalence of mental illness. ‘I am in awe of their courage,’ he said, adding that young people are ‘contending with more powerful forces than I ever faced.’
The review arrives against a politically charged backdrop. Eighteen months ago, during a discussion on disability benefit cuts, then health secretary Wes Streeting said mental health conditions were being ‘overdiagnosed’ in an off-the-cuff remark, the Guardian reported.
At the time, the comment appeared to endorse a populist view that ordinary stresses and disappointments had become too often medicalised, resulting in a surge of what some characterised as bogus clinical diagnoses and creating a generation of fragile, avoidant and workshy young people, according to the Guardian.
Streeting later apologised for the comment. The review’s findings push back against that framing, emphasising that the increase in mental illness among young people reflects genuine difficulty rather than exaggeration.
A separate inquiry found that the NHS is at risk of ‘system failures’ as demand for ADHD and autism care soars, the Guardian reported, underscoring the growing pressure on mental health services.
Why it matters
The review reframes a politically contentious debate about whether young people's mental health struggles are overstated, concluding instead that the harms are real and the pressures greater than in the past. Its findings carry weight for how the NHS resources and responds to rising demand for mental health, ADHD and autism care.
Frequently asked questions
Who led the mental health review?
The review was led by Peter Fonagy, who praised the courage of young people and warned of the consequences of rising mental illness.
What did Wes Streeting say about mental health?
As health secretary, Wes Streeting said in an off-the-cuff remark during a discussion on disability benefit cuts that mental health conditions were being 'overdiagnosed'. He later apologised for the comment.
What did a separate inquiry find about the NHS?
A separate inquiry found the NHS at risk of 'system failures' as demand for ADHD and autism care soars.