Increased mental health issues for South West's young jobless

Almost one in five young people from the South West (18 per cent) have experienced mental health issues as a direct result of unemployment, warns a new report.

The region has seen a 246 per cent increase in the number of young people claiming benefits for more than six months since the beginning of the recession.

Nationally, the report found that young people who are long-term unemployed are more than twice as likely as their peers to believe they have nothing to live for.

Long term unemployed: The findings

• Almost one in five young people from the South West (18 per cent) said they had experienced at least one of the following as a direct result of unemployment: suicidal thoughts, self-harm, panic attacks, being prescribed anti-depressants, feelings of self-loathing, insomnia, feeling inferior to others, difficulty controlling anger, drinking large amounts of alcohol, taking drugs.

• A quarter of young people in the South West (25 per cent) said they ‘always’ or ‘often’ feel down or depressed, with the report showing that long term unemployed people are significantly more likely to feel this way.

• Almost one in four young people the South West (24 per cent) say they feel like an ‘outcast’  with the report finding that the long term unemployed are significantly more likely to feel this way.

Dermot Finch, Southern Regional Director of The Prince’s Trust, said: “Here in the South West 5,575 young people are facing long-term unemployment and there is a real danger that these young people will become hopeless, as well as jobless.

“Our research highlights that unemployed young people are significantly less likely to ask for help if they are struggling to cope. Our message to them is this: there are organisations out there that can help you. At The Prince’s Trust, we provide vulnerable young people with sustained support, through both our long-term personal development programmes and our work within schools across the capital. If you are struggling to get back into work, education or training, you are not alone and you need not struggle alone.”

The Prince’s Trust, which tackles youth unemployment in every region and country of the UK, last year worked with 3,453 disadvantaged young people across the area, including through its centre in Bristol.

The youth charity is now calling for urgent support from health agencies and employers to fund its vital work with long-term unemployed young people battling mental health issues. With more support, the youth charity can help more young people build their self-esteem and move into work.

The charity's sixth annual Youth Index polled 2,161 16-to-25-year-olds, gauging young people’s wellbeing across a range of areas from family life to physical health.

David Fass, CEO of Macquarie Group, EMEA, said: “Macquarie invests in young people. We think it’s important to identify the key issues they face today so policy and programmes aimed at addressing them can be developed. The Index enables organisations like The Prince’s Trust to offer disadvantaged young people the guidance they need to build a stronger future and Macquarie hopes these findings will help further target the support available.”

Shirley Cramer CBE, chief executive of the Royal Society of Public Health, said: “This research proves that unemployment is a public health issue – and one that must be tackled urgently. Unemployed young people are worse off in every aspect of their lives, from their mental health to their relationships and their qualifications. We must act fast or risk hundreds of thousands of wasted young lives across the UK.”

The Prince's Trust is increasing support for the UK's most vulnerable young people through its long term personal development programmes such as the Team and Fairbridge programmes, and its shorter Get Started programme which aims to engage the long-term unemployed.

Prince’s Trust Get Started courses are run in partnership with partners such as the Premier League, the PFA, ASOS and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, reaching thousands more of the country’s hardest-to-reach young people over the next three years.

For more information about The Prince’s Trust visit www.princes-trust.org.uk or follow The Trust on Facebook or Twitter