People in their early 20s are more likely to be not working due to ill health than those in their early 40s, according to the Resolution Foundation.
In 2023, one in 20 (5%) of people between the ages of 18 and 24 were economically inactive due to ill health, it said, leading it to brand the situation a “youth mental health crisis”.
Its ‘We’ve only just begun’ report found that more than a third of those aged between 18 and 24 experienced mental health disorders including depression, anxiety or bipolar.
This is a sharp increase since 2000, when 24% reported these issues. More than half a million in this age group were prescribed antidepressants in 2021-22.
Young people with mental health problems are more likely to be out of work than those without, it found. Between 2018 and 2022, 21% of 18-24-year-olds with mental health problems were workless, compared to 133% of those without mental health problems.
Youth mental health
The think tank said that universities had become “hotbeds” for mental health problems, with the share of full-time students experiencing mental health problems increasing at a faster rate than those in employment (a 37% increase, compared to 15% of those in work, and 23% for those out of work).
Non-graduates with mental health problems are particularly disadvantaged in the labour market – one in three were out of work, compared to 19% of those without mental health problems, and 17% of graduates who did have mental health problems.
Four out of five (79%) young people who are out of work due to ill health only have qualifications at GCSE level or below, compared to a third (34%) of all people aged 18 to 24.
The Foundation argues that further education colleges need more investment “to help those at the sharpest end of the youth mental health crisis”.
It points out that fewer than half of children and young people in secondary schools and post-16 settings had access to mental health support, reducing to just 31% for students in post-16 settings.
It also reports that young people who don’t proceed to higher education tend to receive less career advice from school or college than those going to university, which can compound mental health problems.
The report recommends building managers’ mental health awareness, particularly in sectors that employ large numbers of young people, such as hospitality and retail.
“With a third of young employees in the retail and hospitality sector currently reporting mental health problems, better management practices and mental health training for employers in these sectors should be a priority going forwards,” it advises.
Louise Murphy, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, said urgent action is needed.
“Alongside work to address the root causes of this epidemic, we need to ensure that young people’s future prospects are not blighted by their mental health problems.
“Attention on this issue has tended to focus on higher education, but what should most worry us is when poor mental health comes together with poor education outcomes.
“The economic consequences of poor mental health are starkest for young people who don’t go to university, with one-in-three young non-graduates with a common mental disorder currently workless.
“To address this mental health crisis, we need better support services in currently underserved colleges, and much better provision for those resitting exams so that everyone has qualifications to build on.”
Jo Bibby, director of health at the Health Foundation, which funded the three-year research programme behind the report, added: “The increase in the incidence of mental illness in young people is one of the greatest health challenges we currently face.
“It is already directly impacting the health and wellbeing of millions of people. Also, it represents a major challenge to economic and public spending through the social security system and pressure on the NHS. Moreover, the consequences of mental illness are not felt equally.
“Policymakers need to focus on the building blocks of health, such as good employment and education, to ensure young people get the support they need and have the tools to move through the world as adults.
“Without concerted cross-government action, we risk creating a ‘lost generation’ due to ill health.”
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