Survey reveals depressed youths

A new screening tool is being introduced to identify those at risk

One in 10 young people in Scotland find life meaningless, according to a survey by The Prince's Trust.

The organisation has launched an initiative to assess young people's mental and emotional wellbeing and help identify those at risk.

The Prince's Trust YouGov Youth Index claims to reveal an unhappy younger generation, with 9% saying life is not really worth living.

23% of 16 to 25-year-olds said they are "often" or "always" down or depressed.

The statistics indicate that more than one in four (29%) young adults in Scotland believe they are less happy now than they were as a child and 18% feel like crying "often" or "always".

Almost half (48%) say they are regularly stressed.

If we ignore their concerns, we shall be storing up big problems for the future Peter Kellner YouGov

In response, The Prince's Trust is introducing a new screening tool which will assess a young person's mental and emotional wellbeing and help to identify those at risk from a range of issues, while endeavouring to provide them with relevant support.

The new initiative operates on a two-stage system.

The first part is a questionnaire which will generate a general overview of the person's current mental and emotional state.

The second provides an opportunity for further assessment into areas such as anxiety, depression, trauma and alcohol and drug misuse.

SURVEY RESULTS 9% of young Scots say life is not really worth living 23% say they are "often" or "always" down or depressed 29% say they are less happy now than they were as a child 18% feel like crying "often" or "always" 48% say they are regularly stressed

Results are then collated and team leaders can identify individual support needs and assess whether these can be met by the team programme alone or if referral to professional practitioners is required.

Geraldine Gammell, director of The Prince's Trust Scotland, said that the new wellbeing screening would be crucial to getting the support system right first time.

She added: "As the Youth Index has revealed, this is an increasingly vulnerable generation.

"There has never been a greater need for programmes which help steer young people away from false support systems such as gangs, drugs and alcohol, whilst giving them new direction."

The research further highlights how those not in work, training or education are more likely to feel down or depressed more of the time, with 36% admitting they feel this way "often" or "always".

Those not in work, training or education are also twice as likely to feel their life has little or no purpose (27%).

Peter Kellner of YouGov said: "Most young people have a positive outlook on life, but the Youth Index reveals a significant core of unhappy people aged under 25.

"Their concerns need to be addressed, and not only for the sake of the youngsters themselves; for if we ignore their concerns, we shall be storing up big problems for the future."

Across the country, young people feel that their relationships with family (56%) and friends (52%) are key to their overall happiness. Emotional health (29%), money (16%) and work (14%) were also high priorities.

The Prince's Trust was set up by Prince Charles in 1976 to help young people develop skills and move into work, education or training.