Young Britons aged 18-24 are increasingly facing mental illness, which is a major barrier to their entry into the labor market, according to research by the Resolution Foundation think tank, published today.

Young people today have “the worst mental health of any age group” and the think tank is calling for government action to tackle this scourge and avoid a “lost generation”.

Between 2021 and 2022, when the country was emerging from the coronavirus epidemic and long periods of quarantine, 34% of young people aged 18-24 manifested symptoms such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorders. A percentage increased compared to that recorded in 2000 (24%).

Young women are much more exposed to these disorders (41%) compared to young men (26%), the research notes.

He also points out that in addition to the pandemic, social media and the harassment it encourages play an important role in the rise of mental illness among young people.

But the research also points out that “the (very welcome) reduction in the stigmatization of mental health problems in recent years shows that more young people today are inclined to disclose their symptoms than in the past”.

These difficulties, in addition to impacting on young people’s personal lives, have harmful consequences on their career paths, their incomes and impact on employers and State finances, continues the Resolution Foundation.

Research finds that young people with mental illness are increasingly unemployed and in low-wage jobs compared to other young people of the same age.