Author: Equi
Published on: June 8, 2026
In partnership with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Faith and Society, Equi was delighted to host the full-capacity Parliamentary Launch of its latest report, Beyond the Clinic: Faith and Young People’s Mental Health, in the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday 3 June 2026.
The event was chaired by Zöe Franklin MP, Chair of the APPG and Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Local Government and Faith. The panel brought together Professor Ghazala Mir (Professor of Health Equity and Inclusion at the University of Leeds) and Jeremy Simmons (Policy and Programme Manager at FaithAction), who joined Professor Javed Khan OBE (Managing Director at Equi) and Dr Mary Hunter (Senior Researcher at Equi).
The event gathered parliamentarians, policymakers, academics, clinicians, faith and civil society leaders to discuss how faith-literate care can strengthen prevention, trust, access and outcomes for young people, while delivering savings for the state.
Beyond the Clinic highlights a clear mismatch between what many young people say they need and what statutory mental health services currently provide. For many young people, faith is a source of identity, belonging, purpose and resilience. Yet too often, mainstream services fail to recognise its role.
The report draws on a national survey of more than 1,000 young people and interviews with 32 clinical psychologists, academic experts, youth workers, faith leaders and policymakers. It found that more than 40% of young people say they would have sought support earlier if mental health services had understood their faith background.
It also shows that faith communities are already part of the answer, providing trusted spaces, earlier support and vital routes into care. The challenge now is ensuring that policy, commissioning and frontline practice recognise and strengthen this contribution.
Speaking at the Parliamentary launch, Zöe Franklin MP said:
“It’s important for young people to feel seen in their experiences, their identities and their faith. They should not have to choose between who they are and the support they need. This report brings us closer to a mental health system that is more responsive, more inclusive and more effective.”
Professor Javed Khan OBE said:
“Young people deserve a mental health system that sees them as whole human beings, not clinical abstractions.
Until the NHS accepts that faith is not a cultural footnote but a public health asset, the crisis will continue and the cost, both human and economic, will keep rising. It is a public health necessity.”
The discussion reinforced Equi’s central message: faith-literate approaches are not about special treatment, but about better understanding, earlier support and more effective public services for young people of all faiths and none.
Equi is grateful to the APPG on Faith and Society, our panel contributors and everyone who joined us in Parliament for this timely and important discussion.
Equi will continue to work with policymakers, healthcare leaders, researchers, faith communities and civil society partners to support practical, evidence-based and faith-literate approaches that improve outcomes for young people across Britain.
Beyond the Clinic: Faith and Young People’s Mental Health is out now. Read the full report here.
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