Most extensive NHS survey on mental health reveals drug addiction surge in last decade but autism rates remain stable – despite big increase in people being diagnosed
Cannabis addiction has almost doubled in the last decade, according to a landmark NHS study.
A major representative survey of mental health in England has revealed a worrying surge in drug addiction driven by use of strong cannabis. One in every 15 people in England is now a drug addict with most undiagnosed and receiving no treatment or support services.
Adults with signs of cannabis dependence increased from 2.8% in 2014 to 5.4% in 2023/4. The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey is conducted every seven years and interviews with almost 7,000 adults reveal the extent of mental health conditions, including those who have not received an official NHS diagnosis.
READ MORE: Kate Middleton calls for ‘compassion and love’ ahead of emotional campaignREAD MORE: Vaping overtakes smoking in Britain for first time after generational shift
The NHS England study also revealed that actual autism prevalence is not increasing – despite a huge surge in people being diagnosed with the learning difficulty. One in every 100 people have autism and this has remained stable since 2014. Overall the proportion of people with a mental health condition has increased to more than one in five.
Researcher Sarah Morris, director at the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), said: “This survey provides a uniquely detailed and long-term view of adult mental health in England. By combining consistent, rigorous methods with a nationally representative sample, we’re able to identify emerging challenges – like rising drug dependence – and confirm areas of stability, including the prevalence of autism and psychotic disorder.”
The most detailed study of mental health in England shows the proportion reporting signs of drug dependence rose from 3.8% in 2014 to 6.7% in 2023/4. This was driven by a sharp increase in problem use of cannabis.
Professor Sally McManus, Senior Research Fellow at NatCen, said: “We need to take heed of the near doubling this decade in the proportion of adults with signs of cannabis dependence. This is despite no similar rise in the proportion of adults using cannabis. The upward trend in signs of dependence may well reflect known increases in cannabis potency.”
Most people displaying signs of addiction had not received a related professional diagnosis. Only one in five with signs of drug dependence reported having ever received support or treatment specifically related to their drug use.
The findings are also the best data available on the prevalence of autism in the general population. The data based on the 2007, 2014 and 2023/4 surveys combined shows this was about one adult in a hundred (0.8%). There was no significant change between the 2007, 2014 and 2023/4 surveys.
It comes after some previous data had indicated there had been an eight-fold increase in new diagnoses between 1998 and 2018. This is thought to be due to higher public awareness, better assessments and support as well as expanding diagnostic criteria.
Overall the proportion of 16 to 64 year olds with a common mental health condition increased from 17.6% in 2007 and 18.9% in 2014, to 22.6% in 2023/4. The study also provided new insight into the use of opioids obtained on the black market. Some 3.1% of men and 3.2% of women reported having taken an opioid that had not been prescribed to them.
Prof McManus, of City St George’s, University of London, added: “Before this study, relatively little was known about the extent to which prescription opioid medications were being used in England by people to whom they had not been prescribed. We found that 3.2% of adults reported non-prescribed use of at least one of buprenorphine, fentanyl, morphine, oxycodone, and tramadol at some point in their life, with the proportion highest in 25 to 34 year olds at 4.5%.”
