A report has found that people in their early 20s are more likely to not be working due to ill health, as opposed to those in their early 40s. 

The Resolution Foundation has said that this is “radically different from the past”, as typically, the older you are, the less likely you are to work. 

According to the report’s findings, poor mental health is on the rise amongst young people, which can affect their education and in turn, lead them into unemployment or low-paying jobs.  

In addition, the report uncovered that young people now have the poorest mental health among all age groups, heavily contrasting to 20 years prior, where they had “the lowest incidence of common mental disorders”. 

For example, in 2021/22, 34% of young people aged 18 to 24 reported symptoms of a mental disorder, such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder. In 2000, that figure stood at 24%. As a result, more than half a million of 18- to 24-year-olds were prescribed anti-depressants in 2021-22. 

Louise Murphy, the senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, has said that attention had more often been on mental health in 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.”  

After discovering the results of the report, the Resolution Foundation, which campaigns for better living standards for those on low and middle incomes, has been demanding for better mental health support in colleges and sixth forms. 

The research for the report has been produced by the Resolution Foundation, however it is funded by the Health Foundation – a charity which says it aims to “bring about better health and care.” 

Jo Bibby, the Director of the Health Foundation, has said that “the 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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