Mental Health in Kent and Medway

The Mental Health Watch report provides insights into the mental health landscape in Kent and Medway. 

Adult Mental Health 

• Adults with a serious illness in Kent & Medway are approximately four times more likely to die prematurely than their peers. 
• As of December 2022, there were 194,698 people with depression in Kent, of which almost 30,000 people were from the most deprived areas. In contrast, nearly 15,000 people with depression lived in the least deprived areas. There is a greater rate of depression amongst women (64%).
• There has been a small increase in the Kent suicide rate (3 year rolling average, 11.7 per 100,000), which remained above the national rate of 10.4 per 100,000 in 2019-2021.
• A health equity audit on NHS psychological therapies (IAPT) in Kent & Medway conducted in 2022, found that males had a lower access rates compared to females, and the highest access rates were amongst those aged 18 to 25 years old, reducing as age increased. Difference in rates by ethnicity were also present. Individuals from Asian groups had lower access rates compared to other ethnic groups and those reporting a disability had much lower access rates compared to those who did not have a disability.

Young people's Mental Health

• There has been an increase in hospital admissions for mental health conditions among individuals aged under 18, which is now 25% higher than the average across Kent & Medway.
• Standardised admissions for self-harm in children and young people aged between 10 and 24 years old were 97.42 per 100,000 in Kent and Medway in the quarter to December 2021. 
• In the past two years, there has been a 28% increase in referrals to Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) in Kent and Medway. A total of 24,079 young people were referred in the 2021/22 period.
• Hospital admissions for mental health conditions among those aged under 18 are 25% higher than the Kent & Medway average.

Mental health is a critical aspect of overall wellbeing, and initiatives to support mental health are essential for the community.

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