During the teenage years and the transition to adulthood, there are many circumstances that can contribute to the deterioration of mental health and emotional well-being, including: exam stress, concerns about future education, and various transitions between social groups during different life stages, for example, those that occur between primary and secondary schools and between education and employment.

Often, this happens alongside key stages in neurological development, leading to a lot of instability within the young person's "individual self" and their lived experiences. As such, mental health disorders among youth are surprisingly common, with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, behavioral disorders (meaning antisocial behavior), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and self-harm being among the most prevalent issues during adolescence. This period also witnesses the emergence of rare mental disorders such as schizophrenia.

In fact, half of all lifetime mental disorders begin by the age of 14, with 75% being evident by the age of 24.

Therefore, the Forgotten Children organization emphasizes the need for mental health and social care outside of school settings, through youth organizations and professionals working with youth, particularly in health and especially mental health.

The NHS acknowledges that teenagers and young people are still underrepresented in the comprehensive plan, amidst significant attention to children and women, even though the youth group is just as important as them currently, and early intervention during youth is very beneficial for many mental and neurological conditions.

Currently, many policies related to youth health and well-being are provided within the framework of legal services, especially the national health services and schools. For example, the government's Green Paper in EU countries on transforming mental health services for young children and youth does not have substantial space within other areas where youth may engage with services. According to a study by NYA, 47% believe that charities, non-profit organizations, and volunteer teams should take the initiative in creating teams to maintain youth mental health.

The British government has begun providing advisory support in schools, and over the next five years, the NHS will fund new teams working in schools and colleges to support mental health, which are expected to reach 30% of youth in Britain by the end of 2023.

The opportunity to leverage youth work to help young people in need of these specialized services is significant, as it often complements alternative therapies and emergency services, for example, by encouraging youth to attend appointments and providing support in a less formal environment compared to school, which is often the root cause of poor mental health. Youth work has been successfully used to address many psychological issues, such as obesity, substance abuse, self-harm, eating disorders, and other physical issues where support can crucially begin while waiting for CAMHS.

Effective and well-proven programs to address behavioral issues can be offered at low costs by recruiting specialized volunteers and encouraging doctors to volunteer. Counseling courses for psychological or emotional difficulties can also be provided; however, these issues require government support, and a significant emphasis is placed on the personal responsibility of youth and families to make positive changes. This approach will also benefit from increased focus on community youth services.

For example, the approach taken to address diet and physical activity in the childhood obesity plan places responsibility on children and young people to engage in physical activity, including in schools. However, the extent of its success is questionable without the provision of the psychological support that may be needed. Unfortunately, for many youth, families do not provide this support, and that is where a community-centered approach is essential.

Thus, there is a clear need in all areas relevant to mental health to find youth-focused, community-based solutions outside of the school environment to provide support and activities that focus on overall well-being, which is what youth require.

However, simply increasing the number of community youth services is not enough by itself to ensure that youth services are at their best. They must receive good long-term resources to allow youth to access them regularly in order to build a trusted relationship with the youth worker. Youth workers also need support in training relevant to mental health; the "need" expressed by youth workers in recent APPG inquiries into youth work was for more training in areas supporting youth mental health.