Mentally ill youngsters live on streets as families fail to cope
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Youngsters who are mentally ill or who have behavioural problems are being forced into a life on the streets because their families cannot cope with them.
Figures released today reveal that one in 10 of Britain's young homeless lives rough as a consequence of being diagnosed with conditions such as schizophrenia, clinical depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
An investigation carried out by the Mental Health Foundation and Centrepoint, the charity for the homeless, has found that young people are "falling between the cracks" in services and face a lifetime of despair unless urgent action is taken.
They are calling on ministers to put more resources into targeting overburdened families, where children are at risk of becoming homeless, at an earlier stage and to provide more protection for those on the streets who are mentally ill. Up to 52,000 young people become homeless every year.
Iain Ryrie, of the Mental Health Foundation, said young people who had chaotic family backgrounds as well as mental health problems faced a "double whammy". He added: "There is a loosening of family ties in society, and this is one consequence of that."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments