Prince's Trust Macquarie report says long-term youth unemployment has caused a mental health crisis
Thousands of young people are too scared to leave the house, as joblessness fuels a mental health crisis.
More than one in 10 jobless youngsters regularly feel too anxious to go outside, while 46% avoid meeting new people, a report reveals.
The Prince’s Trust Macquarie youth index shows 47% of unemployed young people feel down or depressed “always” or “often”, while more than 30% say anxiety has stopped them looking after their health or eating properly.
Some 50% of jobless youngsters report feeling scared about life.
The Prince’s Trust chief Martina Milburn warned: “Thousands feel like prisoners in their own homes.
“Their confidence has hit an all-time low. When you think about what it would be like trying to look for work while feeling isolated, unwell and unconfident, it’s easy to see why long-term unemployment often becomes a downward spiral.”
It comes days after charity YoungMinds revealed how the Government had broken its vow to look after children’s mental health services by slashing funding by £50million a year.
That is despite one in 10 youngsters having a diagnosable mental health issue.
The Prince’s Trust survey of more than 2,000 16 to 25-year-olds also reveals those without jobs are more than 50% more likely to “fall apart” emotionally.
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