“Number of young with mental health problems in Wales is rising”

The following is an article from Hafal’s Big Lottery-funded Young People’s Information Hub. To access the Hub please click here.

A report by the Prince’s Trust has stated that the number of young people in Wales with mental health problems is rising with the long-term unemployed more likely to be affected.

The Prince’s Trust Macquarie Youth Index, which was based on interviews with 2,170 16-25-year-olds across the UK – 106 of them in Wales – found that 48% of unemployed respondents said lack of employment has led to problems like panic attacks, self-harm and self-loathing.

The Prince’s Trust Director in Wales Rick Libbey told BBC Radio Wales: “In Wales we’ve suffered pretty badly with the recession and youth unemployment.

“Unemployment seems to have hit the youngsters hardest of all and about one in four young people in Wales suffer from insomnia.

“We’ve found that about one in five have felt depressed most or all of the time and about a fifth of them have suffered panic attacks at different times in their lives.”

An Assembly Government Spokesperson said: “Addressing the issue of young people not in education, employment or training is one of the Welsh Assembly Government’s top priorities.

“We fully recognise the importance of preventing mental health problems and promoting positive mental health.”

To read the BBC news story in full please visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12085749

To download a copy of the report please visit: http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/about_the_trust/what_we_do/research/youth_index_2010.aspx