Emotional problems among UK adolescents aged 10 to 15 more than doubled between 2009 and 2024, rising from 11.4% to 27.1%, according to research reviewed by Gram. The increase was largest among girls, reaching 38.9% in 2024, while alcohol, tobacco, and conflict with parents declined over the same period.
According to research reviewed by Gram, emotional problems such as feeling worried, unhappy, or fearful among UK children aged 10 to 15 have risen sharply over the past 15 years. Using household survey data from 2009 to 2024 that covers 16,356 young people, researchers found that emotional difficulties more than doubled, climbing from 11.4% to 27.1%. The rise was steepest among girls, with 38.9% reporting emotional problems in 2024 compared with 15.8% of boys. Hyperactivity also increased, while conduct problems, alcohol use, tobacco use, staying out late, and conflict with parents all fell. Vaping rose sharply after 2020. The authors argue that these shifts point to specific risk and protective factors and call for urgent investment in prevention to address the drivers of teenage emotional distress.
Key Statistics
A 2026 longitudinal study of 16,356 UK adolescents aged 10 to 15 found that emotional problems more than doubled between 2009 and 2024, rising from 11.4% to 27.1%.
A 2026 study published in the European Journal of Epidemiology found that 38.9% of girls aged 10 to 15 reported emotional problems in 2024, compared with 15.8% of boys.
The same 2026 UK study found that hyperactivity symptoms rose from about 16.1% before 2017 to 27.4% by 2024, while conduct problems fell from 13.6% in 2009 to 11.4% in 2024.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: The researchers wanted to know how the mental health and behavior of UK children aged 10 to 15 has changed over the past 15 years, and whether these changes differ by sex, ethnicity, and family background.
- Who participated: Young people aged 10 to 15 from households across the UK who took part in a national household survey. The study included 16,356 participants who provided 46,218 sets of answers over the 2009 to 2024 period, with each participant answering several times.
- Key finding: Emotional problems more than doubled, rising from 11.4% in 2009 to 27.1% in 2024. By 2024, 38.9% of girls reported emotional problems, compared with 15.8% of boys. Alcohol use, tobacco use, and conflict with parents declined over the same period.
- What it means for you: Parents, teachers, and health professionals may want to pay closer attention to emotional wellbeing in early adolescence, especially for girls. This study shows patterns over time but cannot prove what caused them, so it is best used as a reason to watch and support young people, not as a diagnosis tool.
The Research Details
This was a long-term observational study, meaning the researchers watched how things changed over time without assigning anyone to a treatment or a lifestyle. They used data from a household survey that asked young people and their parents about the same topics in several rounds between 2009 and 2024. Because the same kinds of questions were asked again and again, the team could see how answers shifted year by year.
The survey used a widely recognized questionnaire called the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. It asks about emotions, attention and restlessness, behavior problems, and friendships. The survey also asked about daily habits such as diet, exercise, and social media use, along with relationships at home, risky behaviors like drinking or vaping, and rule-breaking such as shoplifting or vandalism.
The researchers then compared answers across years and across groups, such as boys and girls and different ethnic backgrounds. They looked at whether changes were steady or came in sudden jumps, which helped them identify periods when mental health appeared to worsen more quickly.
The study uses a large national-style survey, repeated over many years, which is a strength for spotting trends. The questionnaire used is well established, and the large number of observations makes the trend lines more reliable. However, the information comes from self-reports and parent reports, which can be influenced by how people see themselves or remember their behavior. The study also cannot prove cause and effect. Readers should note that the sample size listed in the study metadata (356) does not match the 16,356 participants reported in the abstract, so the abstract figure is used here.
What the Results Show
The most striking result is the rise in emotional problems. In 2009, about 11.4% of young people reported emotional difficulties such as frequent worry or unhappiness. By 2024, that figure had reached 27.1%, more than double. The increase did not happen evenly. It sped up after 2014 and again after 2019, which suggests that certain periods may have added to the strain on young people.
Girls showed the largest increase. In 2024, 38.9% of girls reported emotional problems, compared with 15.8% of boys. White British adolescents also showed larger increases than other groups in the study, although the study does not explain exactly why.
Hyperactivity symptoms, such as trouble sitting still or concentrating, stayed fairly steady at around 16.1% until 2017. After that, they rose to 27.4% by 2024, with the increase concentrated among girls. Peer problems, such as difficulty making friends or being picked on, also rose, particularly among girls.
At the same time, several behaviors moved in the opposite direction. Conduct problems, such as rule-breaking and aggression, declined steadily from 13.6% in 2009 to 11.4% in 2024, driven mainly by improvements among boys. Alcohol use, tobacco use, staying out late, and conflict with parents all decreased over the period. Vaping, however, rose sharply after 2020.
The contrast between rising emotional struggles and falling risky or rule-breaking behavior is one of the study’s most notable features. It suggests that teenagers may be less likely to act out in ways that get them into trouble while feeling more inward distress. For families and schools, this means that quiet signs of unhappiness or worry may be easier to miss than loud behavior problems.
The rise in vaping after 2020 stands out in a period when most other risky behaviors were falling. This is an area where early attention may matter, since the long-term effects of vaping in young people are still being studied.
The findings also indicate that improvements in some areas, such as lower drinking and smoking among young people, do not automatically mean overall wellbeing is improving. Emotional health appears to be moving in a different direction from many other behaviors.
These results are consistent with earlier reports that have documented rising emotional difficulties among young people in the UK and other high-income countries. The study adds a long time frame and a detailed breakdown by sex and ethnicity, which helps confirm that the increase is not limited to one group. The authors describe the increase as occurring on an epidemic scale, a term used to highlight how widespread the change is.
The biggest limitation is that the study is observational. It shows that emotional problems and certain behaviors changed together over time, but it cannot prove that any one factor, such as social media, school pressure, or family life, caused the changes. The researchers themselves point to possible mechanisms but do not test them directly.
All information came from questionnaires, which depend on how honestly and accurately people answer. Attitudes toward reporting mental health problems may also have changed over the years, which could make some increases look larger than they are. Survey methods and the groups who take part can change over time as well, which may affect comparisons.
Finally, the results describe averages for groups of young people in the UK. They do not predict what will happen to any individual child, and they may not apply equally to families in other countries or cultural settings.
The Bottom Line
Research shows that emotional problems among UK young people aged 10 to 15 have risen substantially since 2009, with the sharpest increases among girls. Because this is a strong and consistent pattern across many years, it is reasonable to pay closer attention to emotional wellbeing in this age group now. The study suggests that prevention efforts aimed at the underlying causes may be important, but it does not prove which specific causes to target. Confidence is high that the trend is real, and moderate about what is driving it.
Parents and caregivers of children in this age range, school staff, pediatric and youth health professionals, and policymakers planning mental health services are most likely to benefit from these findings. Adults who work with girls in particular may find the results useful. Readers outside the UK should be careful, since the data comes from UK households and may not match trends elsewhere. Anyone who needs help for a specific child should speak with a qualified health professional rather than rely on population-level data.
Population trends like these change slowly and are shaped by many factors at once, so there is no quick fix that will reverse them within months. Families and schools may see improvements in individual children over weeks or months when support is introduced, but measurable changes in national statistics typically take years to show up in survey data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have emotional problems in UK teenagers increased over the past decade?
Research shows that emotional problems in UK teenagers aged 10 to 15 rose sharply between 2009 and 2024. The share reporting emotional problems climbed from 11.4% to 27.1%, with the largest increases seen after 2014 and again after 2019.
Are girls more affected by rising emotional problems in young teens?
Girls showed the largest increase in emotional problems in a UK study of 16,356 young people. By 2024, 38.9% of girls reported emotional difficulties, compared with 15.8% of boys, and peer problems also rose most among girls.
Is vaping increasing among UK children aged 10 to 15?
Vaping rose sharply after 2020 among UK adolescents aged 10 to 15, according to research reviewed by Gram. During the same period, alcohol use, tobacco use, and staying out late declined, suggesting that vaping stands out as a growing concern.
What causes the rise in teenage emotional problems?
The study does not identify a single cause. It is observational, so it shows that emotional problems rose alongside changes in behavior and family life, but it cannot prove what drove the increase. Researchers call for prevention efforts targeting the underlying drivers.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Encourage users who care for a child aged 10 to 15 to log a brief weekly check-in with three simple ratings from 1 to 5: how worried the child seems, how well they slept, and how connected they felt to friends or family. Tracking these items over several months can reveal patterns that a one-time question might miss.
- Suggest a daily five-minute conversation with the young person about something other than school or screens, such as a shared activity, a favorite song, or a plan for the weekend. Logging how often these conversations happen can help caregivers stay consistent and notice when a child seems to be withdrawing.
- Over the long term, users can record monthly notes on mood, sleep, friendships, and any changes in vaping or screen use. Reviewing these notes every three months can help families spot gradual shifts early and decide when to seek advice from a doctor, school counselor, or other professional. The app should remind users that persistent sadness or worry warrants professional support.
This article summarizes a population-level observational study and is for general education only. It does not diagnose, treat, or predict mental health conditions in any individual child. The study shows patterns and associations, not proven causes. If a young person shows persistent sadness, worry, behavior changes, or thoughts of self-harm, please contact a qualified health professional, school counselor, or local crisis service promptly.
This research translation is published by Gram Research, the science division of Gram, an AI-powered nutrition tracking app.