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Emotional health issues: the 'forgotten face' of the recession?

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With a grim financial outlook for the year ahead and increasing numbers feeling the full force of the forecasted recession through house repossession and job losses, new research into the state of Britain's younger generation has revealed that one in ten do not perceive life as worth living.

A vulnerable generation?

The Prince's Trust YouGov Youth Index, published earlier this month, reflects an unhappy younger generation, with more than one in ten (12 per cent) of those surveyed feeling that life is meaningless. More than a quarter (27 per cent) of 16 to 25 year-olds admitted they are "often" or "always" down or depressed and almost half (47 per cent) say they are regularly stressed.

Those reporting the highest negative impact to their emotional health were those Not in Education, Employment or Training’: NEETS. The report concluded that: "As well as having a lower index figure overall, the young people who are NEET are consistently more unhappy and less confident in every aspect of the survey than those who are in employment, education or training."

Lucie Russell, director of Campaigns and Participation at mental health charity, YoungMinds, commented on the potential consequences for young people having to deal with such issues: "Struggling with emotional and mental health issues, as many young people do, as well as financial worries just adds to the burden young people have to face, often in isolation and fear," she said.

"Poverty and debt lead to feelings of inadequacy and insecurity and thus the increased temptation to turn to crime as a way out of what seems a hopeless situation," Ms Russell added.

Economic climate

Over the next two years, UK unemployment will rise to a peak of 3.1 million - some ten per cent of the workforce - according to the latest prediction from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Chief economist at the BCC, David Kern, said at the time of the prediction: "UK prospects have worsened significantly since our last forecast at the end of 2008.

"We now predict bigger GDP declines, higher unemployment and larger government borrowing than envisaged in November," he added.

His view is shared by Charles Davis, economist at the Centre for Economic Business Research (CEBR). He predicted that the year ahead will be a tough one financially, with rising unemployment and an overall contraction in growth.

"2009 will be difficult in terms of the real economy", Mr Davies said. "2008 has been extraordinary, we have seen all the big name financial institution collapses but 2009 will be the year where it really hits the real economy. We have started to see it in the last quarter with things like the job cuts that have been announced in the city, things like MFI and Woolworths going into administration. Some of these really intuitive things happening that everyone in the country can see and I expect we'll see more of that in 2009."

Impact of the recession

Experts warn the brunt of the economic crisis will be felt by the younger generation following recent research by the University of Sheffield and the Prince's Trust on the impact of rising unemployment.
"Young people are set to bear the brunt of the Britain's economic meltdown," Danny Dorling, Professor of Human Geography at the University of Sheffield, said upon publication of the research.

The University forecast that at least 1.25 million unemployed people in the recession will be under 25 if unemployment levels hit the predicted three million.

"As employers across the country tighten their belts it is often the young that suffer most, as it costs nothing not to employ people", Professor Dorling continued. He urged for action to be taken now "to prevent young people from falling into this unemployment trap".

Mental health warnings

With such conditions looming, shadow health secretary, Andrew Lansley, has called for action to stop the recession creating a mental health crisis. In a speech at the Mental Health Network conference in Harrogate in November, the Conservative MP estimated that as a result of the recession and rising unemployment and repossession, as many as 1.5 million more people could be seeking help for mental health problems in England alone.

"Mental health illness is the forgotten face of this recession," Mr Lansley said, urging priority access to "new, clinically-effective" therapies to those threatened by unemployment.

In an attempt to address the issue of unemployment and getting people back to work, Labour has announced a £100m cash boost over the next three years to help Britain's unemployed.

The scheme, announced in October last year, will ensure money is made available for people who are currently facing redundancy and those looking for work to help them retrain and develop their skills. The aim is to enable people to move back into sustainable employment more quickly, either in their existing sector or a brand new one.

Where to turn

For any one worried about financial issues and job losses, it is vital that concerns are shared. "If young people are concerned they must talk to someone. Don't struggle in silence", advised Lucie Russell from YoungMinds. "Talking to someone you trust, a family member, a friend, a teacher or a youth worker can really help you to deal with your worries and work out a way to tackle the problem that is causing it."

If you or someone you know is unable to talk to friends or family, perhaps because they don’t want to be a burden, Samaritans are here to help. Our trained volunteers are available 24 hours a day and can give people the time and space to explore their feelings in confidence and work out the way forward. Just call 08457 90 90 90 (UK) or 1850 60 90 90 (ROI)