A common theme in our recent posts – reflective of articles in the main press – is that of mental health issues caused by the pandemic. A particularly vulnerable group are the young, who have had less experience of life, it’s challenges and how to address these. The youth charity, The Prince’s Trust recently published its report, Youth Index, which attempts to gauge levels of happiness and confidence for young people in their working life to their physical and mental health. The results are worrying: 26% admit they feel “unable to cope with life” since the start of the pandemic, with the figure rising to 40% for those neither in work, education or training. Additionally 50% of “16 to 25-year-olds say their mental health has worsened since the start of the pandemic”. To an extent these figures are no surprise given the backdrop of “disrupted education, a shrinking jobs market and isolation from their friends and loved ones”. Hope for the future appears all but gone. Fortunately the Prince’s Trust is working to provide mental health resources and support in schools across the UK. This initiative is needed all around the world. Only action to combat this situation can change the future views and prospects of millions of children who will carry the scars of this period for a long time.
https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/about-the-trust/news-views/tesco-youth-index-2021