Accusations that the young are a snowflake generation are wrong, the head of an independent review into mental health, ADHD and autism has told the BBC.
In an exclusive interview, Prof Peter Fonagy says there has been a real rise in mental distress among children and young people, with anxiety, depression, self-harm and eating disorders the most common.
He says it is “harder to be young” now given the economic and employment uncertainty they face coupled with the challenges presented by social media.
The review was ordered nine months ago by Wes Streeting after the then-health secretary claimed in an interview that young people were over-diagnosed and “written off”.
It is likely to feed into government policies on everything from NHS services and benefits to support for young people not in education, employment or training.
Fonagy says he chose to speak to the BBC ahead of the publication, which is expected later this week, because he was concerned the debate around ADHD and autism would “obscure” the wider issue of mental health.
Some have argued greater awareness and misattributing normal life stresses to mental illness are factors in the increase in cases.
Fonagy told the BBC his personal battle with mental health when he was young was a driving factor in his desire to help young people.
He experienced suicidal thoughts as a teenager after moving to London from Hungary without his parents. But he says he was fortunate to get therapy from a local service that “saved his life”.
“It’s harder to be young now,” says Fonagy, 74, adding his review “dismisses the idea of a snowflake generation”.
“I’m in awe of the way they have adjusted to an environment that is far more difficult than I ever had to face.”
He says economic and employment uncertainty as well as the pressures of social media have created a “very toxic” environment for young people.
“They are a generation that has real serious challenges that I would not wish to have had when I was their age.
“Adults have let them down. We’re the first generation that probably collectively feels we had a better life than our children will have.
“So, to the person who says it’s a snowflake generation, just try living 24 hours as a 16-year-old.”
