Anna Freud responds to Future Minds roadmap
An innovative roadmap published by Future Minds this week shows how we can transform children and young people’s mental health by 2035.
We know urgent action is needed to improve children and young people’s mental health.
Data shows that one in five young people in England are estimated to have a mental health condition. The latest PISA data also reveals that one in four children report the lowest wellbeing across Europe.
In early 2025, we were part of a group of charities that backed a call for government to deliver urgent action on children and young people’s mental health services.
This week, the same group of charities that form the Future Minds campaign, published a detailed roadmap for government to deliver the urgent investment and reform needed to transform children and young people’s mental health by 2035.
The roadmap offers clear, evidence-based solutions from a wide range of experts and experiences. The solutions offered sit within an overarching emphasis on prevention and early intervention. Key recommendations align with the three big shifts in the government’s 10 Year Health Plan:
A shift from hospital to community: Stabilising specialist and inpatient services while shifting investment towards earlier, community-based support to cut the cost of crisis.
A new digital age of treatment and support: Moving from analogue care by safely harnessing digital tools and AI to widen access, reduce waiting times, and increase productivity.
A new era of prevention: Adopting an approach that embeds wellbeing support in schools, youth services, and families.
Anna Freud’s CEO, Professor Eamon McCrory, said:
“Last year’s report from Future Minds outlined the cost to children, young people, and wider society of underinvestment in mental health services, estimating over £1 trillion is lost by inaction.
“The outlook remains deeply concerning. Too many children and young people are still reaching crisis point and waiting too long for care. This roadmap offers the government a clear, evidence-informed framework for action, showing where investment and reform will deliver the greatest impact and value for money, and transform lives.
“Prevention and early intervention are key to unlocking change. Early investment is not only about avoiding future mental health crises, but also about what is lost when we do not act. Without sustained investment, children and young people miss out on the chance to develop the social, emotional, and relational assets that support learning, participation, and long-term wellbeing. These missed opportunities carry lasting costs for the individual as well as for society that cannot be recovered through later intervention alone.
“Listening to children, young people, and their families will be fundamental to the roadmap’s success. Their lived experience tells us what works in practice in their communities, helping ensure policy translates into real change. If we are serious about safeguarding the future, this investment is essential to building a healthier society and a stronger economy.”