Youth charity warns of depression risk for unemployed youngsters

A youth charity has claimed that many young Brits are becoming depressed due to being unemployed, according to bbc.co.uk.

Representatives from the Prince's Trust say that hundreds of thousands of young people "feel they have nothing to live for" due to long-term unemployment.

According to official data, there are over 900,000 unemployed people aged 16-24 in the UK. The Trust said that around 440,000 of these are expected to be unemployed in the long-term.

Talking about the situation, Paul Brown, director of the charity, told theguardian.com: "We need to recognise that unemployment doesn't just lead to economic disadvantage for young people but can scar them."

He continued: "There are a very large number of people still unemployed, lacking all hope for the future. We have a duty to make sure there's something to look forward to."

Mr Brown is urging the government to team up with charities and the private sector to help improve the situation. He claimed that more funding is needed to help out as many young people as possible.

The comments are based on a study that YouGov carried out on behalf of the Trust. The Prince's Trust Macquarie Youth Index found that 40 per cent of young people without jobs have had symptoms of mental illness, as well as panic attacks and feelings of self-loathing due to unemployment.