'Social Thinning' Might Be Impacting Kids' Mental Health – And We Need To Talk About It

Our kids’ social worlds are getting smaller and smaller. At the same time, their mental health is getting worse. 

Between 2010 and 2023, more than 1,200 council run youth centres closed across England and Wales, and local authority spending on youth services in England plummeted by just over 70%. 

Meanwhile, between 2014 and 2024, the number of young people (aged 16-24) experiencing common mental health conditions rose from 19% to 26%. 

While there are many reasons why children might be struggling with poor mental health...