Health · Mental health · England · 1993 to 2023/4
Is mental ill health becoming more common?
Yes, on the best survey measure: 22.6% of adults aged 16–64 in England had a common mental health condition such as depression or anxiety in 2023/4, up from 18.9% in 2014. The rise was steepest among 16–24-year-olds (25.8%). More people with symptoms are also being treated.
Evidence last reviewed 3 October 2026
A rise since 2014
Are common mental health conditions becoming more common?
More than one in five adults aged 16–64 now have a common mental health condition
Adults aged 16–64 with a common mental health condition (depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, phobias or mixed anxiety and depression), England, survey years.
England · 1993 to 2023/4 · Accredited official statistics
Sources, definitions and data — More than one in five adults aged 16–64 now have a common mental health condition
- Geography:
- England — Adults aged 16–64 living in private households
- Measure:
- Per cent
- Period:
- 1993 to 2023/4
- Status:
- Accredited official statistics
- Calculation:
- As published. Bars are survey years, not evenly spaced in time.
- Compare with:
- 2014: 18.9%
- Not included / breaks:
- Measured by a structured interview (the Revised Clinical Interview Schedule, score of 12 or more) in a household survey: people in hospitals, prisons and care homes are excluded. A condition identified by interview is not the same as a diagnosis recorded by a GP.
Source: NHS England, Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2023/4, Chapter 1: Common mental health conditions; Chapter 2: treatment (released first published June 2025; current edition 27 November 2025). Chart HEALTH-05.
View the data as a table
| Survey year | Per cent of adults aged 16–64 |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 15.5% |
| 2000 | 17.5% |
| 2007 | 17.6% |
| 2014 | 18.9% |
| 2023/4 | 22.6% |
Who is affected
Who is most likely to have a common mental health condition?
Common mental health conditions are more frequent among people in debt, out of work or in deprived areas
Adults with a common mental health condition, by group, England, 2023/4. Each pair compares two groups; groups overlap and are not adjusted for each other.
- Most deprived fifth of areas26.2%
- Least deprived fifth of areas16.0%
- In problem debt39.0%
- Not in problem debt18.4%
- Unemployed (16–64)40.0%
- In employment (16–64)18.3%
- Women (16+)24.2%
- Men (16+)15.4%
England · 2023/4 · Accredited official statistics
Sources, definitions and data — Common mental health conditions are more frequent among people in debt, out of work or in deprived areas
- Geography:
- England — Adults aged 16 and over in private households (employment rows: aged 16–64)
- Measure:
- Per cent of each group
- Period:
- 2023/4
- Status:
- Accredited official statistics
- Calculation:
- As published in Chapter 1.
- Compare with:
- All adults aged 16+: 20.2%
- Not included / breaks:
- Associations only: the survey cannot show whether debt or unemployment causes poor mental health or the reverse. Area deprivation describes neighbourhoods, not individuals.
Source: NHS England, Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2023/4, Chapter 1: Common mental health conditions; Chapter 2: treatment (released first published June 2025; current edition 27 November 2025). Chart HEALTH-06.
View the data as a table
| Group | Per cent |
|---|---|
| Most deprived fifth of areas | 26.2% |
| Least deprived fifth of areas | 16% |
| In problem debt | 39% |
| Not in problem debt | 18.4% |
| Unemployed (16–64) | 40% |
| In employment (16–64) | 18.3% |
| Women (16+) | 24.2% |
| Men (16+) | 15.4% |
Definitions, treatment and what the numbers cannot say
The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey interviews a random sample of adults at home, roughly every seven years. A common mental health condition means scoring 12 or more on a structured interview covering depression, generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder and mixed anxiety and depression. This is different from the number of people in contact with NHS mental health services or prescribed antidepressants, which also depend on how easy treatment is to get.
Treatment. Among adults aged 16–74 with symptoms, 47.7% were receiving treatment in 2023/4, against 39.4% in 2014 and 24.4% in 2007. Medication rose from 19.6% to 38.4% and psychological therapy from 10.4% to 17.9%. So about half of people with symptoms still receive no treatment.
Competing interpretations. Part of the rise could reflect people being more willing to describe symptoms; the survey uses the same interview each time to limit this, but cannot rule it out. Among people aged 75 and over, prevalence was stable (9.9% in 2007, 10.2% in 2023/4), which argues against a purely reporting-driven change across all ages. The survey excludes people in hospitals, prisons and care homes, so it understates severe illness.
For how ill health relates to being out of work, see ill health and work. Options for prevention and access are on the Health page.
Sources and methods (1)
- NHS England, Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2023/4, Chapter 1: Common mental health conditions; Chapter 2: treatment (released first published June 2025; current edition 27 November 2025) — prevalence, group differences and treatment
Method notes
- Survey years: 1993, 2000, 2007, 2014 and 2023/4 (fieldwork March 2023 to July 2024). The trend uses adults aged 16–64, the age range covered in every year.
- Group comparisons are as published and are not adjusted for age or for each other.