A report by the Prince’s Trust has claimed that a significant minority of young people in Wales believe their lives are meaningless.
The survey, which was published this week, found that while the majority of 16-25 year-olds in Wales have a positive outlook on life, more than one in ten often feel down or depressed.
Responding to the findings, which came from interviews with approximately two thousand people across the UK, The Prince’s Trust Cymru Director Michael Mercieca said: “The index reveals an increasingly vulnerable generation. Young people tell us that family is key to their happiness, yet too often we find they don’t have this crucial support.”
Meanwhile another report, also published this week, has claimed children that behaved badly at school are more likely to suffer mental health and social difficulties as adults.
Examining data taken from 3,500 people, Canadian researchers writing in the British Medical Journal found that children described as having behavioural problems as they entered their early teenage years were more likely to be depressed, divorced or have financial problems by the time they reached middle age.
The article, by researchers from the University of Alberta, stated that even when the results were adjusted to take account of other factors, such as sex, the social class of parents, depression in adolescence and IQ, the link to behaviour held true.
They wrote: “Given the long-term costs to society and the distressing impact on the adolescents themselves. our results might have considerable implications for public health policy.”
To read the Prince’s Trust report please click here: http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/main%20site%20v2/downloads/PTYG%20Youth%20Index%20jan09.pdf
To read the British Medical Journal story please click here: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/338/jan08_2/a2981