Young Adults With Depression 'Desperately' Need Help

A significant number of young adults need more assistance dealing with mental health problems, a new report has warned.

The survey of 16 to 25-year-olds compiled by the Prince's Trust found one in 10 young people believed life was not worth living, or meaningless.

Polling company YouGov questioned 2,004 people online.

The "significant core" of those who found life had little or no purpose, were mainly not in education, work or training.

More than a quarter (27%) said they were always or often down and depressed, while nearly a half (47%) said they were regularly stressed.

Paul Brow, of the Prince's Trust, said the results showed there were thousands of people who "desperately" needed support.

He said: "Often people who feel they have reached rock bottom don't know where to turn for help."

Meanwhile, Martina Milburn, chief executive of the Prince's Trust said the study revealed "an increasingly vulnerable generation".

She added: "Young people tell us that family is key to their happiness, yet too often we find they don't have this crucial support.

"At the Prince's Trust we help vulnerable young people, steering them away from false support systems such as drugs, alcohol and dangerous gangs and providing them with a sense of purpose again."

A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "The government wants to make this the best country in the world to grow up and the Children's Plan sets out how we will do this with more support for families, world class schools, and exciting things for young people to do outside school, and more places for children to play.

"In a survey of 110,000 pupils last year 93% of children said that they felt happy about life.

"But we know childhood isn't good for every child and we will continue to focus on the problems that exist for some."

(JM/KMcA)