One in five young people take time off for mental health issues

ONE in five young people are taking time off from school or work because of poor mental health, research by the Prince’s Trust has found.

The alarming figure comes as Britain faces a wave of long-term sickness, with those out of work for health reasons standing at a record high of 2.6m.

The trust poll of 2,239 young people aged 16 to 25 revealed that mental health problems have also prevented nearly a fifth from applying for a job.

Happiness in work, education, qualifications and money is at the lowest level recorded over 15 years of research, according to the charity’s Youth Index.

It came as a separate study from the Resolution Foundation found that in parts of the country, almost one in 10 people of working age say they are too unwell to work or to look for a job.

Jonathan Townsend, the trust’s chief executive, said: “Rising poor mental health is significantly impacting young people’s education and early careers.

“This is leading to a vicious cycle where poor mental health is having a negative impact on young people’s work, yet being unemployed has a negative impact on their well-being – this is a deeply concerning trap.”

One in eight young people said their mental health had prevented them from attending a job interview in the past year, according to the trust. In contrast, two thirds of those in work said their job was good for their mental health and gave them a sense of purpose. Analysis by the Resolution Foundation shows much of the increase in overall inactivity as a result of poor health is concentrated in regions that already suffered from high levels of sickness.

In west Wales, 9.1pc of those aged between 16 and 64 are out of work owing to long-term illness, with Merseyside at 8.7pc. The proportions can be even higher for older workers. In Tyne and Wear, 17pc of those aged between 50 and 64 have dropped out of the workforce because of ill health.

Charlie Mccurdy, an economist at the foundation, said: “There is the broader trend, which is an increase in the share of working-age people across the country who report disability, so the country is getting sicker.”

It can be a difficult trend to reverse, Mr Mccurdy added.

‘Rising poor mental health is significantly impacting early careers. This is leading to a vicious cycle’