Rising numbers of children are suffering mental health problems caused by family breakdown and peer pressure, a report suggests.

It says that more than a quarter of under-16s regularly feel depressed because of the stresses of family life, friendships and school. The report by the Good Childhood Inquiry, which heard evidence from mental health experts, says that 13 per cent of girls between 13 and 15 years old and 10 per cent of boys in the same age group suffer from mental health problems, yet there is little treatment on offer.

The report is part of a two-year inquiry into the state of modern childhood commissioned by the Children’s Society. It comes after Unicef concluded that Britain was one of the worst places in the industrialised world to be a child.

Thousands of children took part in the study. Twenty-seven per cent of those aged 14 to 16 said that they often felt depressed, and 22 worried about the state of their physical health. Anxiety about appearance was mentioned by seven out of ten under16s, who said that they dieted some or all of the time. Family breakdown was a common problem.

Stephen Scott, a professor of child health and behaviour at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, who is one of the authors of the report, said: “Young people feel under a lot more pressure than they used to. They have high lifestyle expectations, which are often not met. The glamorising of the celebrity culture does not help since by definition most people cannot be part of it. There is more pressure to succeed in exams and be successful, yet fewer constructive activities and pastimes to take part in.”

He said it was clear that family breakdown was also taking its toll. “It is as much about the problems arising from family breakdown as the event itself. Young people don’t like being in different homes on different days of the week and get upset by strife between their parents.”

An accompanying poll of what adults think of young people indicated that an overwhelming majority believe that children are not as happy as they were when they were young. The GfK NOP poll found that only 9 per cent of adults thought that children were happier now than a generation ago; 55 per cent said that they thought they were less happy.

Almost a third – 29 per cent – blamed family breakdown for making children unhappy, and 23 per cent said that peer pressure was to blame. Computer games, television and a lack of physical activity were also held responsible for deteriorating mental health.

More than 1,300 mentally ill children are being treated on adult psychiatric wards because there is nowhere else for them to go. Professor Scott said that the shortage of mental health services for young people had to be addressed. Only one in four children with psychiatric disorders was being given any sort of treatment.

Bob Reitemeier, the chief executive of the Children’s Society, said: “There is a growing recognition of the true cost of neglecting children’s mental health and wellbeing. Too often, mental health and wellbeing have been dismissed as being of little importance, but there is now an understanding that if we want to give children a better childhood these matters must be addressed. We now need to translate this growing concern into action and investment in the necessary support services.”

The Government played down the findings. “Our families and children’s survey showed that most young people in Britain say that they are healthy and feel good about themselves,” Kevin Brennan, the Children’s Minister, said. “That doesn’t mean that there aren’t problems. That is why we issued our children’s plan, which aims to make this the best place in the world to be a child.”

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