New survey shows recession's toll on youngsters' mental health

Nearly a million 16-24 year-olds in the U.K. are unemployed and a new survey by the Prince's Trust charity shows the toll that this is taking on youngsters' mental health. The survey of 2,170 people aged between 16 and 25 found that young people were twice as likely to self-harm or suffer from panic attacks if they had been jobless for more than a year. Almost half of the sample had problems such as self-harm or insomnia. About one in six respondents to the survey said being out of work was as stressful as a family breakdown, and one in eight said unemployment gave them nightmares. Half of young people seeking work said visits to a job centre made them feel ashamed, and more than half said that job-searching had left them feeling disillusioned or desperate.