Around one in three young adults in Britain expects to need mental health support in the coming year, according to a survey.
Almost two-thirds of people aged 16 to 25 also reported problems with their mental health, either currently or in the past.
Experts said this suggests increased awareness of mental health problems, but more research is needed on prevention.
The YouGov poll of 1,545 people aged 16 to 25 was carried out for researchers involved in UCL’s Grand Challenge of Mental Health and Wellbeing, a scheme aiming to improve mental health through a number of approaches.
The survey found 64% of young adults reported experiences of mental health problems.
This was highest in people aged 20 and 21, with four in 10 reporting current issues and 31% saying they had had problems in the past.
Some 32% said they expected to need support in the coming year.
Professor Essi Viding, of UCL psychology and language sciences and pro-vice provost of UCL Grand Challenges, said the findings may “reflect increased awareness and improved identification of mental health problems”.
“We need more research to understand how we can prevent mental health problems from emerging and how we can support those with the most serious needs to access quick and effective evidence-based support,” she added.
“Such support can include school-based social and emotional skills interventions targeted at young people with mild to moderate mental health challenges, something that my group is currently researching.
“For more serious mental health challenges both psychological and pharmacological treatments may be appropriate.”
Asked about issues that impact mental health negatively, she said school, college or university and financial pressures were the most common.
However, those who were not in work or education were more likely to report mental health issues.
Olly Parker, head of external affairs and research at YoungMinds, said: “This research further underlines the shocking scale of the mental health emergency facing young people.
“It mirrors YoungMinds’ research in identifying school as one factor contributing to poor mental health.
“We know from our own findings the harm high-pressure exams cause, with young people having suicidal thoughts and self-harming because they were struggling to cope.”
He added that “urgent action is needed to reverse the decline in young people’s mental health”, which can only happen with “major reforms” to address the root causes.
Some 86% of people who said they had mental health problems had sought support.
Around half were more likely to seek informal support from friends (53%) or family (47%).
Almost three-quarters who sought private therapy found it helpful compared with 56% who were satisfied with NHS therapy.
Among the patients who were referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), 69% found it unhelpful.
Professor Argyris Stringaris of UCL Psychiatry, who is also a UCL Grand Challenges pro-vice provost, said: “Whilst some interventions have proven efficacy, not all interventions will be helpful to everybody and some may even be harmful.
“Refining the tools that will allow us to predict who needs support for mental health and of what type is acutely needed.”
The new research comes after a study by UCL suggested NHS talking therapies for depression and anxiety appear to be less effective for young adults.
Prof Stringaris said: “While mental health treatments such as talking therapies are effective for young people, we found that NHS talking therapies are less effective for them than they are for older people, so we need to find better ways to tailor treatments to young people.”
