Young people are not snowflakes, head of mental health review says

Image source, Getty Images By Catherine Burns , health correspondent, , Nick Triggle , health correspondent and Vicki Loader , senior health producer Published 21 September 2026, 05:00 BST Accusations that the young are a snowflake generation are wrong, the head of an independent review into mental health, ADHD and autism has told the BBC.

Prof Peter Fonagy said in an exclusive interview that there had been a real rise in mental distress among children and young people, with anxiety, depression, self-harm and eating disorders the most common.

He said it was "harder to be young" now given the economic and employment uncertainty young people face, coupled with the challenges presented by social media.

His review was ordered nine months ago by Wes Streeting after the then-health secretary claimed in an interview that young people were over-diagnosed and "written off".