Wales’ mental health waiting list hits highest level since Covid pandemic

Emily Price

The number of people waiting to access specialist psychological therapies in Wales is at its highest level since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Figures compiled by Mind Cymru from Freedom of Information requests to all seven Welsh health boards show that around 9,000 people with moderate to severe mental health conditions were waiting for psychological therapies as of December 2025.

In the same month the total number waiting for more than 26 weeks to access specialist psychological therapies reached more than 4,300.

This is the highest set of monthly figures received by the charity over the space of six years.

Mind Cymru is calling on the new Welsh Government to prioritise the reduction of waiting times and commit to transforming the mental health system, to help improve early access to mental health support for all during the next Senedd term.

Aled Edwards was told he faced a two-year wait to see a psychologist as an outpatient at a mental health hospital near his home in Bangor.

This was despite experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts at the time.

The father of two was put on the list to see a psychiatrist with a view to him accessing support more quickly, but it took another 18 months for him to get the help he needed.

Aled, who was diagnosed with a male form of post-natal depression as a result of his treatment, said: “This was at a point in my life where I had already tried to take my own life and I was considering trying again, so this time I went to ask for help instead.

“I was experiencing some really dark thoughts and I was desperate for support.

“When I did get to see a psychiatrist, they left their job after three sessions and I went back into the system to wait for a further six months before starting trauma therapy with another doctor.

“Finding the skills to cope with the kind of intrusive thoughts I was having in the meantime was really hard, and I feel fortunate that I had the means to access private counselling support to keep me going during that period where so many others might not.”

The latest data covering April 2024 to December 2025 shows the number of people waiting more than 26 weeks to receive specialist psychological therapies rose to 4,300 within that time – almost double the figure for March 2024 (2,305).

Simon Jones, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Mind Cymru, said: “There’s clearly a very real and growing need for increasing numbers of people to receive specialist psychological support for their mental health in Wales.

“These are people living with moderate, severe and enduring mental health conditions, as those most in need of support.

“That so many are waiting too long to access therapies is placing further demand on a system already under pressure, and there’s a need for significant investment to be made at all levels to help people access the support they need, when they need it.

“With plans already in place to transform Wales’ mental health system and help deliver open access care, we need now to ensure these plans are prioritised and invested in so that we can start to see that positive impact as soon as possible.

“No one should be waiting longer than six months for support with a serious mental health issue. With this in mind, Mind Cymru is calling on the new Welsh Government to deliver make mental health a priority across the next Senedd Term.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “All health boards offer specialist psychological therapies to support people with a range of mental health issues.

“We are working to reduce waiting times and provide same day mental health support.”