Wave of ‘hopelessness’ hits youth

YOUNG adults and the unemployed have been disproportionately affected by feelings of hopelessness during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new research.

A survey of 2004 adults by the Mental Health Foundation Scotland found that as the pandemic has progressed, certain vulnerable groups are being more severely affected than others.

The research, carried out between June 18 to 26, found one quarter of 18 to 24-yearolds said they felt hopeless as a result of the pandemic in the two weeks prior to the survey.

Those who are unemployed are also being seriously affected by feelings of hopelessness, with 25% of that group also saying they have struggled.

A total of 26% of those with pre-existing mental health issues said they felt hopeless in the two weeks prior to the survey.

In comparison, one in seven (16%) adults over the age of 24 have experienced feelings of hopelessness.

Lee Knifton, director of Mental Health Foundation Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: “It’s clear the pandemic remains a much more devastating experience for certain groups.”