There are many factors contributing to what has been described as a mental health crisis among the youth. But an underexplored factor affecting the mental wellbeing of young people is where they live. Katherine Smith, Aniela Wenham and Antonios Roumpakis look at the effect that geographical location in the UK has on the mental health of young people. 

Enjoying this post? Then sign up to our newsletter and receive a weekly roundup of all our articles.

In recent years, and especially since the Covid-19 pandemic, academics, practitioners and policy-makers alike are increasingly discussing the causes of and consequences of what has been framed as a “crisis” in young people’s mental health. In 2021-2022, more than a third of young people in the UK indicated having a mental health disorder, a figure  which contrasts significantly to two decades ago, when young people had the lowest incidence of mental health issues amongst any age group. While policy has, perhaps understandably, focused on the implications for health services, in particular Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), what is less understood are the drivers of young people’s mental health difficulties, and how this can be helped or hindered by place, space and the geographical location of where young people grow up.

An in-depth look into the social causes of mental health challenges would indicate a multitude of approaches to understanding the issue, ranging from the impact of stress, the negative consequences of labelling people, to the role of inequality and the reduced access of some groups in society to the resources required for one’s wellbeing. Other factors widely recognised to be contributing to the youth mental health “crisis” include the role of social media, the pressure of intensified programmes of secondary school examination, the role of UK government austerity programmes over several decades, intergenerational inequalities, experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as more existential threats such as the climate crisis.

Local and regional factors intersect with national and international issues and furthermore, local and regional approaches are something that local and devolved policymakers have far greater influence, in an era where government policy levers are increasingly constrained by the role of international factors.

When looking at such large-scale national and international considerations, the influence of highly localised factors is perhaps not always in the forefront of policy agendas relating to the youth mental health “crisis”. Nevertheless, local and regional factors intersect with national and international issues in unique ways, and furthermore, local and regional approaches are something that local and devolved policymakers have far greater influence, in an era where government policy levers are increasingly constrained by the role of international factors.

We noticed some of the subtle ways in which mental health and the structures of emotional support available to young people are intrinsically linked to their local geographies.

Location, location, location

Our recent research on young people’s emotional support, situated across two locations, Scarborough, a coastal town in North Yorkshire experiencing high levels of deprivation and York, a more affluent city with hidden inequalities, did not start on the premise of studying the youth mental health “crisis”, but we found it as a strong theme across all 50 interviews and creative arts-based workshops we did with young people in these locations. Amongst some more expected findings, we also noticed some of the subtle ways in which mental health and the structures of emotional support available to young people are intrinsically linked to their local geographies. To illustrate using some examples, a group of young women told us about the sense of calm and comfort they felt from living close to historical buildings in York, which contrasted to the sense of overwhelmedness they felt living in bigger cities. In Scarborough, while conducting exploratory walking interviews, we spoke with a young person who got noticeably upset about changes in their local “high street”, and in particular, the closure of the high street store “Game”, as a place where their brother spent a lot of time. These examples remind us not to overlook the details of place to young people’s lives and wellbeing, illustrating how geography and mental health overlap in unexpected ways.

Considering the complex and multifaceted issues surrounding youth mental health, it is imperative that we move away from simple straight-forward policy responses.

Within the UK’s centralised unitary system, the recent focus of government policy upon the devolution agenda, as well as the role of ‘levelling up’ and “left-behind” places, has provided some momentum to the role of localised policy approaches. UK youth policy also places a heavy emphasis on the local, and despite criticism surrounding an uncoordinated national approach in recent decades, it is still the responsibility of local authorities to provide a youth “local offer” that will  “secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people”. However, this has been criticised as too vague and unsubstantial to improve young people’s wellbeing. Considering the complex and multifaceted issues surrounding youth mental health, it is imperative that we move away from simple straight-forward policy responses.

The availability of safe indoor places is also more urgent when young people perceive the outdoor and public space as unsafe, such as in areas of higher crime.

Young people need places to socialise and connect

The idea of young people needing places to go is not a new one. However, the long term trend of youth club closures in both the locations where we worked has left a gap in provision of places for young people to spend time outside of home and formal education. This also applies to many other towns and cities, however provision varies significantly by local authority area. Social connections are crucial to young people’s network of emotional support, whether with peers or through supportive relationships with trusted adults. Not all young people have access to the same networks of emotional support at home and families have unequal access to time, money and emotional resources to support young people. The availability of safe indoor places is also more urgent when young people perceive the outdoor and public space as unsafe, such as in areas of higher crime. Addressing the availability of safe places to make social connections is therefore of urgent importance.

Young people in Scarborough also expressed a strong sense of feeling let down by authorities, especially when reflecting upon what were perceived to be unfulfilled promises to redevelop a shopping centre and to bring a new cinema to the town.

Get young people involved in designing regeneration projects

Given the ways in which geography and wellbeing are connected, having involvement in the design of local development projects in towns and cities, is of crucial importance; our research indicates a strong sense of disconnect between young people and regeneration projects, highlighting issues such as the lack of affordable housing in York, a sense that tourists are often prioritised over local residents in both locations. Young people in Scarborough also expressed a strong sense of feeling let down by authorities, especially when reflecting upon what were perceived to be unfulfilled promises to redevelop a shopping centre and to bring a new cinema to the town. Improving connection to place and ultimately feeding into the creation of safe spaces for social connection, should not be overlooked.

Local spaces matter

While the youth mental health crisis is a broad issue that ultimately requires a joined-up policy approach, the role of local geography and place-based factors which are so close to young people’s lives is an often overlooked area. Local stakeholders and politicians have a central role in ensuring that young people have an investment in local place, with potentially huge impacts on young people’s wellbeing, networks of emotional support and ultimately their mental health.

All articles posted on this blog give the views of the author(s), and not the position of LSE British Politics and Policy, nor of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Image credit: Serge Cornu in Shutterstock

Enjoyed this post? Sign up to our newsletter and receive a weekly roundup of all our articles.