Revealed: The dramatic 'six-fold' increase in young Scots reporting mental health problems

The number of people in Scotland who reported having a mental health condition more than doubled between 2011 and 2022, data from the census shows.

Figures show 617,100 people reported having a mental health issue in the 2022 survey – 11.3 per cent of the population. This is an increase from 4.4 per cent in 2011.

The jump was driven by a dramatic, six-fold increase among those aged 16 to 24.

Figures show a huge rise in the number of young people reporting mental health problems | PA

SNP mental wellbeing minister Maree Todd suggested the rise could be due to Scots being more likely to come forward and seek support, but critics raised concerns over a growing mental health crisis.

In 2011, just 2.5 per cent of those aged between 16 and 24 reported such an issue, compared to 15.4 per cent in 2022. The figure was 5 per cent for those aged 25 to 34 in 2011, rising to 17.5 per cent in the most recent survey.

In all other age groups – except for the 85 and over category which saw a fall in mental health problems – the figure more than doubled. In each age group, women reported more issues than men, with the biggest gap seen among 16 to 24-year-olds.

Jon Wroth-Smith, the director of census statistics, said: “In 2022, 15.4 per cent of people aged 16 to 24 reported having a mental health condition, up from 2.5 per cent in 2011.

“Females in this age group were twice as likely to report having a mental health condition, at 20.4 per cent compared to males at 10.5 per cent.

“There were also increases in older age groups, but the biggest increases were seen in younger groups and it is now more common for younger people to report a mental health condition. This is the reverse of what we saw in 2011.”

Elsewhere, figures were also released on the number of unpaid carers in Scotland, showing a more than 25 per cent increase.

In 2022, 627,700 people in Scotland reported being an unpaid carer, up by 135,500 – 27.5 per cent – in 2011. The largest number of unpaid carers was seen in the 50-64 age group.

Of those unpaid carers, almost a quarter – 24.3 per cent – spent more than 50 hours a week looking after someone, while 55.9 per cent spent up to 20 hours doing so.

Ms Todd said: “These findings show that people feel more able to come forward and talk about their mental health than they were in 2011, which I hope is a welcome sign that stigma is decreasing.

“They also demonstrate why it is important that the right help and support is available for all those in need. We have ensured access to counselling services in all secondary schools as well as trusted online advice.”

Alex Cumming, the executive director of operations at the Scottish Association of Mental Health, said the data “aligns with what we’ve been seeing”.

He added: “The mental health system is under significant pressure – waiting times are still high, and that’s in large part about the increase in demand demonstrated by these figures.

“More positively, we also know that many people are more comfortable talking about their mental health now than they were in 2011.

“We need to make sure that these people can ask once and get help fast, which means improving access to community and preventative support before smaller problems become bigger problems.

“The Scottish Government has the opportunity and the obligation to make the investment in the system that this data shows we need, and that has to start with the Budget in December.”

Scottish Tory health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said the figures exposed a “growing mental health crisis on the SNP’s watch” and urged ministers to spend 10 per cent of the health budget on mental health.

“Those suffering with mental health issues have been let down by successive SNP health secretaries who are out-of-touch with the reality facing them on daily basis,” he said.

“It is time for ministers to back the Scottish Conservatives’ positive vision to fix Scotland’s NHS, which includes spending ten per cent of the health budget specifically on mental health.”

Scottish Labour mental health spokesman Paul Sweeney urged the Government to “step in to support young people or risk betraying a generation”.

He added: “Young people must know they’re not alone in this fight – intervening now will build up resilience for the future and reverse this alarming trend. The SNP must also get serious about planning for an aging population.

“Rather than rearranging the deckchairs on care and creating new quangos, it must work with other parties to come up with a plan that helps people stay healthier for longer and gives unpaid carers the support they need.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said Scotland needed world-class mental health services.

He said: “The conversation around mental health has changed dramatically over the last decade. It’s clear that more and more people are able to identify the symptoms and recognise when they need support. But they have been let down by the SNP Government which has repeatedly raided tens of millions from the mental health budget, adding to the agony of everyone trying to get help and causing services to be overwhelmed.

"The SNP promised to clear mental health waiting lists by March 2023, but thousands of children and adults are still waiting over a year and the treatment targets have never been met. Scotland needs world-class mental health services.”