BACP Mindometer 2024
News from BACP

Our annual survey into the state of the nation's mental health

Three out of five therapists saw a decline in the public’s mental health in 2024 compared to last year, according to our Mindometer survey^1.

And almost all of our members who responded to the survey attributed this decline to financial concerns and the cost of living. Many stated that war, conflict and negative news are having a detrimental effect on our mental health too.

The survey, which captured the experiences of more than 2,600 of our members, shows that therapists are seeing a surge in stress, persistent worrying and overthinking over the past year.

Nearly three quarters of therapists who work with children also said they’re seeing an increase in children with more complex issues. Almost two in five therapists described demand at their practice as overcapacity.

Findings from our survey have been reported in the media including Stylist, Metro, MSN, Yahoo News, Daily Star and Yorkshire Post. The survey was also mentioned as part of the coverage of our campaign Unmasking ADHD through therapy.

Dr Lisa Morrison Coulthard, BACP Director of Professional Standards, Policy and Research

The state of the nation

Surge in stress, persistent worrying and overthinking - warn experts

Three in five (60%) therapists said that the public’s mental health has deteriorated since last year.
Almost all (94%) therapists perceived that financial concerns and the cost of living impacted this.
Three quarters (76%) of therapists perceived that war and conflict impacted this.
Three quarters (75%) of therapists perceived that negative news impacted this.
Just under three quarters (73%) of therapists perceived that discrimination, prejudice, and systemic inequalities impacted this.
69% of therapists perceived that politics impacted this.
Almost half (48%) of therapists perceived that climate change impacted this.

The top five issues therapists have seen an increase of in the past year are:

Stress, persistent worrying and overthinking (64%)
Neurodivergence-related issues (61%)
Generalised anxiety (55%)
Low self-esteem (53%)
Loneliness and isolation (49%)

Nearly two in five (39%) therapists described demand at their practice as over capacity, resulting in a waiting list and/or referral of clients to other services.

Children's mental health

Increase in children coming to therapy with more complex issues

Almost two thirds (64%) of therapists working with children under the age of 18 reported that their mental health has deteriorated compared to last year.

The top five issues therapists working with children have seen an increase of in the past year are:

1. Neurodivergence-related issues (e.g. ADHD, Autism) (73%)
2. Stress, persistent worrying and overthinking (67%)
3. Low self-esteem (67%)
4. Generalised anxiety (63%)
5. Social anxiety (62%)

Nearly three quarters (73%) of therapists who work with children said they’re seeing an increase in them coming to therapy with more complex issues.
69% of therapists who work with children said that they’re seeing an increase in children coming to therapy who have been waiting more than a year for access to support elsewhere.
Almost half (46%) of therapists who work with children reported a rise in safeguarding issues with children and young people.
Around two in five (43%) therapists who work with children reported a rise in children coming to therapy who are being bullied online.
Around a fifth (21%) of therapists who work with children have witnessed a rise in children who are being groomed online.

Parenting

Therapists are seeing a rise in parents struggling to cope

Almost three in five (59%) therapists who work with parents say they have seen an increase in them seeking therapy because they are struggling to cope.
Around a third (35%) of therapists who work with parents have seen an increase in fathers putting themselves under too much pressure to succeed in all areas of their life.
Over half (58%) of therapists who work with parents report an increase in mothers putting themselves under too much pressure to succeed in all areas of their life.
59% of therapists who work with parents are seeing a rise in parents struggling to implement boundaries for their children's online and social media use.
Nearly two thirds (65%) of therapists are seeing a rise in role strain - where people are struggling to fulfil the roles of spouse, parent, and child while managing many other responsibilities.

ADHD

More people are coming to therapy with ADHD issues and concerns

Around three quarters (76%) of therapists said they saw an increase in the number of clients who come to therapy with ADHD-related issues or concerns.
Over half of BACP therapists (58%) have noticed a rise in clients seeking their services to adjust to their new ADHD diagnosis.
Over a third (36%) of therapists say their clients who have ADHD perceive their ADHD diagnosis positively.
Emotional regulation (82%), academic or work performance (67%) and relationships with friends and family (67%) are the top three areas of life that ADHD has the greatest impact, according to therapists.
72% of therapists say clients feel relieved after receiving their ADHD diagnosis.
Over half (57%) of therapists report they often encounter clients with ADHD who engage in masking behaviours.

I agree wholeheartedly with most of the findings, particularly the impact of the financial crisis and the cost of living. The increasing addiction of the media to report gratuitous details and very graphic and distressing images from war-torn countries will have a high correlation with reported distress in clients and decline in their mental health. Naturally this will have a knock-on effect on their own well-being, their relationship with their families, their children and how they show up in life and work.

I have worked in schools for more than 20 years, and over the past two I've been helping children who've experienced panic attacks in the school corridors. I've also talked through breathing exercises with young people who refuse to get out of their parents' car to come into school because their stress levels have been so overwhelming.

It’s natural for us to worry or feel anxious when we hear about war and conflict. But the rise of social media and rolling news apps has escalated this anxiety. It keeps us in a state of hypervigilance, and can leave us feeling guilty if choose to switch off. When in fact, we all need to have boundaries in place to protect our sense of calm.

Menopause

Anxiety is the top reason why people experiencing menopause seek therapy

Nearly two thirds (65%) of therapists say menopause-related issues are having a detrimental impact on their clients’ mental health.
Over half (55%) of therapists say they have clients who come to them not realising they are experiencing symptoms of menopause.
Almost a third (30%) of therapists say they’ve seen an increase in the number of enquiries and referrals from people experiencing menopause-related issues and concerns.
Almost a third (32%) of therapists working with clients with menopause say there is a stigma around seeking therapy for the menopause-related issues.

The top five issues why women in menopause have gone to therapy over the past year are:

Anxiety (58%)
Mood changes (53%)
Relationship issues, sex and intimacy (47%)
Memory or concentration problems (46%)
Mid-life processing (41%)

Workplace wellbeing

Returning to the office is causing anxiety

Around three in five (61%) therapists say that returning to the office is causing anxiety for some of their clients.
Around three in five (62%) therapists have noticed an increase in clients who are unhappy with their job / work.
Over half (58%) of therapists say they have noticed an increase in clients’ mental health being negatively impacted by their manager.
Two in five (41%) therapists say they’ve noticed an increase in people feeling bullied at work.
Around half (52%) of therapists say they’ve noticed an increase in clients taking sick days for work-related stress.

Influencer therapists

Influencer therapists should be able to prove they are qualified

86% of therapists say ‘influencer therapists’² should be able to prove they are qualified to offer counselling to the public.
Around a third (37%) of therapists say they’ve seen a rise in clients seeking mental health support from social media through ‘influencer therapists’ in the past year.
Almost a third (30%) of therapists agree that social media ‘influencer therapists’ are helping to keep counselling at the forefront of public conversations.
Two in five (41%) therapists say ‘influencer therapists’ are damaging the reputation of counselling.
Two in five (43%) therapists say they’ve seen ‘influencer therapists’ share unhelpful or damaging support online.
28% of therapists say they’ve seen have seen ‘influencer therapists’ behave unethically online.
One in five (20%) therapists have seen an increase in clients receiving harmful advice from ‘influencer therapists’.

Although it may feel like a distant memory, the pandemic only officially ended last year. These statistics reflect the fact that many are struggling to navigate this post-covid era. The mental health fallout amongst young people has left parents unable to cope. And an even greater awareness of our global interconnectedness has meant that we are more affected by conflicts and adverse events occurring elsewhere. Conversely, we’ve become increasingly introspective and insular, working and socialising from home where we’re left with ourselves, our anxious thoughts and a never-ending news cycle to fuel our fears.

The reported statistics sadly do not surprise me. They provide a snapshot of psychological and relational challenges experienced in contemporary life. Uncertainty is the new certainty, and therapy is needed so much more to help society stabilise and thrive. My concern is how counselling and its wholesome purpose is becoming ‘contaminated’ by ‘influencers’ seeking to gain for personal advantage. This needs to be stopped so the public are clear about their choices from reputable sources.

Sadly, the results of the Mindometer survey are far from surprising and reflect what we are seeing in practice. Mental health services nationwide are overwhelmed, and clients continue to be impacted greatly by a number of stressors which are impacting on wellbeing and quality of life. As we continue to work through the longer term consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has also been global conflict, a cost of living crisis, climate catastrophe, and hyper-polisation across the political spectrum. This is playing out in relationships and at home, and manifesting in an increased number of mental health conditions and difficulties. The survey reminds us of the importance of therapy as a safe space, now more than ever.

1. All figures are from our annual Mindometer survey of BACP members. Total sample size was 2,658 therapists. Fieldwork was undertaken between 3 – 17 September 2024. The survey was carried out online.

2. Influencer therapy is a broad term which can refer to both genuine therapists who give tips and advice on social media (including BACP members), as well as people who give mental health advice with no background in this area or those who claim to be therapists when they are not.