As many as 95% of young people are struggling with their mental health, a poll has suggested.
The worrying findings come from a survey of 2,000 18- to 24-year-olds carried out for mental health charity Mind and Direct Line Insurance.
Young adults across the board were struggling with their mental health, it found, with 95% saying they had felt anxious in the last 12 months and more than a fifth (21%) admitting to experiencing these feelings all the time. Almost half of the young adults polled (46%) said they had felt low often or all the time over this time period.
More than one in 20 said that they feel uncomfortable discussing their mental health with anyone, with 10% of 18-year-olds unwilling to speak about the topic at all.
Almost three-quarters (70%) felt lonely even when around peers, friends, classmates, and work colleagues. They also felt they had less energy than previously, with 83% saying this was true in the last 12 months.
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Stephen Buckley, head of information at Mind said: “We are deeply concerned by the findings of this research – the fact that only 10% of young adults love themselves highlights the urgent need for support and resources to help this young generation navigate the complex challenges they face.”
The latest survey adds to the weight of evidence that the mental health of young people has been especially hard hit by the experience of the pandemic and, now, the cost-of-living crisis.
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Earlier this month, a poll commissioned by AI chat mental health app Wysa concluded that as many as eight in 10 teenagers are suffering from mental ill health.
And last month, research presented at a meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology highlighted that adults and young people with food allergies and eating disorders in the UK are not getting the help and support they need.
