Most young Londoners with mental health issues lack official diagnosis

Fewer than one in 15 young people with a mental health disorder in south London have received an official diagnosis from NHS mental health services, the London Evening Standard reported. Researchers at King's College London examined data on young people in the area to evaluate diagnostic rates within public health services. [1]

According to the London Evening Standard, experts involved in the study noted that most young people with a mental health disorder do not receive a diagnosis from these services, even after having healthcare contact for their problems. The researchers found that the largest diagnosis gaps occurred among young people experiencing anxiety and multiple mental health issues. [1]

The findings follow a separate major review published by Professor Peter Fonagy, the London Evening Standard reported. That review concluded that common mental health problems and overall mental distress have increased substantially, particularly among young women. [1]

Diagnostic gaps in healthcare systems remain a recurring challenge in clinical mental health evaluation. As FTMQ Health reported earlier, standard diagnostic tools also frequently overlook gaming disorder in female players because traditional assessment criteria fail to capture differing behavioral patterns. [2]