It is increasingly clear that something is going wrong with the wellbeing of many of our young people. Across high-income countries, a sustained deterioration in mental health is unfolding – particularly among adolescents and young adults.

Growing empirical evidence confirms this is not merely anecdotal. Research led by my University of Glasgow colleagues, professors David Blanchflower and David Bell, shows a marked rise in depression and anxiety among young people in the UK – with the steepest increases among women under 25. The recent UK Youth Poll by the John Smith Centre found that over 1 in 2 young people surveyed reported feeling anxious either daily or weekly.

The traditional “U-shaped” pattern in wellbeing – where people tend to be happier when young and again in older age – has disappeared. The term "mid-life crisis" emerged from the observation of a downturn in wellbeing typically occurring in middle-age. But now mental ill-health peaks for people in their early 20s.

Read more:

Talking therapy for depression and anxiety ‘less effective for young adults’

Smartphone use and social........

© Herald Scotland