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The mental health of young people in London

Created on
02 September 2014

This meeting took place on 3 September 2014. Read the transcript here.

Half of lifetime mental illness will start by age 14[2].

Three quarters of children and young people affected go undetected or treated[3].

An estimated 111,000 young people in London have a clinically significant mental health problem[4].

Mental illness affects one in six people in the UK[5]; this equates to around 1.3 million people in London. Londoners experience worse mental health than other areas in the country, due to higher levels of anxiety. Population density, housing vulnerability and poverty may also contribute to a higher prevalence amongst Londoners.

  • What routes and methods do young Londoners use to access mental health support?
  • What barriers to services are experienced by young people?
  • Does demand outweigh supply in mental health services for young people in London?

The following guests will be questioned at the meeting:

Barbara Rayment

Director, Youth Access

Lucie Russell

Director of Campaigns and Media, YoungMinds

Daniel Taegmayer

Senior Commissioning Manager, Lambeth CCG

Gregor Henderson

Director, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Public Health England

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, 3 September from 2pm in the Chamber at City Hall (The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA).

Media and members of the public are invited to attend.

The meeting can also be viewed via webcast.

Notes for editors:

  1. Full agenda papers
  2. Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2012: Our Children Deserve Better: Prevention pays, Annex 9 p111
  3. Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2012: Our Children Deserve Better: Prevention pays
  4. London Mental Health: The invisible costs of mental ill health, January 2014
  5. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-mental-health-strategy-for-england
  6. Dr Onkar Sahota AM, Chair of the Health Committee, is available for interview – see contact details below.
  7. As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and balance on the Mayor

For more details, please contact Alison Bell in the Assembly Media Office on 020 7983 4228. For out of hour’s media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit, on 020 7983 4100.

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