The Health Secretary’s announcement of an independent review into mental health demand and support is an important opportunity to prompt evidence-based action to improve the nation’s mental health.

Wes Streeting has announced the review will explore what’s driving rising demand for mental health, ADHD and autism services in England, the role of diagnosis in accessing help, how the NHS delivers these services, and if there are inequalities in support.

It follows comments by Streeting earlier this year that mental health conditions were being ‘over-diagnosed’. He’s now said it’s important that the rise in diagnoses is better understood.

Our 2025 Mindometer survey of our members found 64% of therapists say the public’s mental health has deteriorated over the past year. Some 62% of respondents said they’d seen an increase in clients with neurodivergence-related issues over the past year.

We will contribute to the review and will ensure that the voices of the counselling and psychotherapy sector and those with lived experience are at the heart of our submission. 

Asking questions

We were pleased to support Stuart Andrew MP to table some parliamentary questions this week about the scope of the review, the current evidence available about diagnosis rates and opportunities for the mental health sector to contribute to the work. We're awaiting answers to these from the Department for Health and Social Care

Dr Lisa Morrison, our Director of Professional Standards, Policy and Research, said: 

“This is an opportunity to tell the full, complex story of what’s influencing rising demand for mental health support, the challenges people face when accessing that help, and what needs to change to improve the nation’s mental health.  

“It must lead to the root causes of poor mental health being addressed, and prompt much-needed action and investment in better access to services and choice of support, before people reach crisis point.

Taking action

“The review must be based on evidence and data. Counselling and psychotherapy are evidence-based vital early interventions that have long term benefits. It’s vital the voices of the sector and of those with lived experience are involved in this review and we’ll be taking action to represent our members and their life-changing work within it.

“We were hugely concerned by Wes Streeting's previous comments about overdiagnosis and angered by Minister Stephen Kinnock’s inaccurate statement earlier this year that an ‘unregulated private sector' of therapists was contributing to an ‘overdiagnosis' of mental health conditions. This review should provide real answers – and put these ill-judged comments to bed.”

The findings of the review will be published next summer and inform the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to tackle the mental health crisis in adults and children.