Local government policymakers have been urged to take immediate action after a data map revealed ‘stark disparities’ in children’s mental health across UK.

Produced by Centre for Mental Health in collaboration with Kooth, the data map shows that one in five children and young people aged 8-19 in England experiences a mental health difficulty.

Rates get higher as children get older, from 157 in every 1,000 children aged 8-10 to 226 among young people aged 11-16 and 233 17-19-year-olds.

Rotherham had the highest number of new referrals to children’s specialist mental health services (182 per 1,000 compared to a national average of 70).

Herefordshire recorded the highest number of hospital admissions (309 per 100,000 compared to a national average of 81).

The map pinpoints areas with higher rates of children facing disadvantage linked to poor mental health, including those living in poverty, in care, or facing abuse and neglect.

For instance, Leicester had the highest proportion of children living in poverty in England (35%), with Glasgow City in Scotland at 33%, Blaenau Gwent in Wales at 28%, and Derry in Northern Ireland at 55%.

‘These findings highlight the need for a cross-government plan for children that includes a focus on children’s mental health,’ said Cllr Arooj Shah, chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board.

‘We need to see significant investment into early intervention and prevention that can have a positive impact on improving and preventing poor mental health. This should consider the wide range of factors that support young people such as culture, leisure, green spaces and sport.’