One in four youngsters ‘feels lonely’

‘Crucial time for development’

Youngsters feel lonely and unsure who to turn to for help with mental health problems, a survey shows.

the state of a generation report by Mental Health Foundation (MHF) scotland paints a ‘worrying picture’ of the nation’s young adults, say experts.

the charity is calling for parents and schools to introduce measures to tackle the problem.

nearly two-thirds – 64 per cent of the 16-25 year-olds quizzed – said they ‘often’ or ‘always’ feel pressure to meet the expectations of others.

of these young people, 69 per cent said this has a negative impact on their mental health. Around a quarter, 23 per cent, of those surveyed said they ‘often or always’ feel lonely.

More than 600 young people took part in the study.

Lee Knifton, director of MHF scotland, said: ‘our findings paint a worrying picture of young people living across scotland, with many reporting that they feel isolated or don’t know where they can turn to.

‘the findings highlight the importance of both early intervention and prevention for young people’s mental health. Mental health problems, such as anxiety, can happen at any age, but childhood and young adulthood represents a crucial time for development.

‘It’s vital we speak to young people to understand what challenges their mental health, as well as protects and promotes it, and introduce ways to help them reach their full potential.’

He added: ‘our findings highlight there is much more we need to do to make sure the right support is available for young people.’

the survey also found that 53 per cent of young people felt that professionals, such as teachers or managers at work, would not respond to their emotions in ways that they would find helpful.

Forty-one per cent of young people are not confident that they know where they could go to find help if they are concerned about their mental health.

the research – supported by the Cochrane Common Mental Disorders group at York university – states that factors that can increase the risk of mental health problems include genes, relationships and disadvantage.

Previous studies have indicated that family breakdown and body image worries can play a role.

Across the uK, the prevalence of mental health issues among children is slowly rising. rates among children aged five to 15 years old increased from 9.7 per cent in 1999 to 11.2 per cent in 2017.

A scottish government spokesman said: ‘the rollout of our £250million package of measures to support positive mental health for children and young people is under way.’