Among 16- and 17-year-olds involved in the study, 44 per cent have “probable mental ill health”, which indicates they have “high levels of psychological distress”.
Mental ill health has increased by a quarter over the last five years when compared with previous similar research, finds the study. In 2017, the proportion of young people struggling was 35 per cent and in 2007 it was 23 per cent.
The findings have emerged in a report from the COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities Study, led by University College London (UCL) and the Sutton Trust.
This looked at the mental health and wellbeing of 13,000 young people who were in year 11 in 2021 and according to researchers points to “a decline in the mental health and wellbeing of young people, likely accelerated by the pandemic”.
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