Published: 2024-02-28 by, News Team in the Health & Medical news category

Young Adults' Unemployment Due to Poor Health Surpasses Older Generations

A report reveals that individuals in their early 20s are more likely to be unemployed due to poor health compared to those in their early 40s, marking a notable shift from the past trend where older individuals were more prone to work incapacity due to illness, according to the Resolution Foundation. The report underscores a concerning rise in poor mental health among young people, affecting their education and pushing them into lower-paid or jobless situations. In 2023, 5% of young people were economically inactive due to health issues. The study highlights a significant change in mental health trends, with young people now experiencing the highest incidence of mental disorders compared to two decades ago when they had the lowest. In 2021/22, 34% of individuals aged 18 to 24 reported symptoms of mental disorders, up from 24% in 2000. This shift has led to over half a million 18 to 24-year-olds being prescribed antidepressants in 2021-22.

Louise Murphy, a senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, emphasizes the intersection of poor mental health and education outcomes, particularly for non-university-bound youth. The economic impact is stark, with one in three young non-graduates with mental disorders being unemployed. The study reveals gender disparities, with young women being one-and-a-half times more likely to experience poor mental health than young men (41% vs. 26%). Furthermore, 79% of 18 to 24-year-olds "workless" due to health issues only possess GCSE-level qualifications or below, compared to 34% for the entire age group.

In response to these findings, the Resolution Foundation calls for improved mental health support in colleges and sixth forms, advocating for actions to prevent young people from leaving compulsory education with low qualification levels. The study, funded by the Health Foundation, prompts calls for cross-government action to prevent the creation of a "lost generation" due to poor mental health. Gary Siva, from the mental wellbeing platform Zumos, warns of a mental health crisis in the UK, emphasizing the urgent need for coordinated efforts and increased funding to address the growing challenges faced by younger generations. Social media is identified as a contributing factor, influencing how children seek validation and amplifying problems that were previously contained within school boundaries. Despite concerns about data accuracy from the discontinuation of the Labour Force Survey, the Health Foundation asserts the reliability of the data for its analysis.

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