UK Youth Happiness at Lowest Point in 10 Years - Prince of Wales Study
If you are aged 16 to 25 and a current resident of the United Kingdom, you are probably not all that happy, according to the results of a new study by the country’s monarchy.
The results of the latest annual study sponsored by the UK-based charity Prince's Trust, has revealed that average happiness metrics for residents between the ages of 16-25 are lower now than at any point over the last ten years in which the study has been run.
The findings of the so-called UK Youth Index should "ring alarm bells," according to research authors, who suggest that the wellbeing of young people in the country has fallen to its lowest point since 2009 — the first commission of the comprehensive nationwide poll.
Based on a pool of 2,194 respondents between the ages of 16-25, the research suggests that at least three out of five in the country's youth population consistently feel anxious about money and work.
The research also pointed to 25 percent feeling "hopeless," while an estimated 50 percent have experienced mental health issues, according to The Guardian.
The Prince's Trust study observed that UK youth are particularly cynical about job opportunities in the country, which directly affects money and hope for the future.
The numbers add up to a culture with deep economic issues directly affecting the quality of life for young people, noting that ten percent of respondents lost jobs either through redundancy, contract termination or by firing.
A reported 54 percent asserted financial worry on a regular basis.
Male and female respondents' replies pointed to an ongoing and persistent gender stereotype, as a lack of self-confidence and a feeling of being ‘not being good enough in general' was reported by 57 percent of women and just 41 percent of men.
UK Youth Trust chief Nick Stace suggested that the study findings point to an urgent need in the nation for increased skill set development and the promotion of a positive state of mental wellbeing, although a methodology to arrive at these improvements was not offered in the research results.
"It should ring alarm bells for us all that young people are feeling more despondent about their emotional health than ever before," Stace declared, cited by The Guardian.
"This is a generation rapidly losing faith in their ability to achieve their goals in life," he said, adding that UK youth are "increasingly wary of and disillusioned with the jobs market."
"It is vital that government, charities and employers across the UK invest more in developing young people's skills and in providing opportunities for them to progress in fulfilling, sustainable careers," stated the charity head.
The Prince's Trust was founded in 1976 by Charles, Prince of Wales and son of Queen Elizabeth II, heir to the British throne.
- Source : Sputnik
