Read: The pandemic takes its toll on young people’s happiness and confidence

It’s a sad fact of our post-pandemic society - although not necessarily a surprising one - that the happiness and confidence of our young people has fallen to a 13-year low.

The Prince’s Trust NatWest Youth Index, based on polling by YouGov, found that almost a quarter of young people aged 16-25 believe they will never recover from the emotional impact of the pandemic. Forty per cent report feeling anxious about socialising with people, one third say they don’t know how to make new friends and 35% say they have never felt more alone.

The Index shows that qualifications and training are a particular worry for young people, as are work and employment as well as relationships with friends and family. Youth workers report that, even as the last of the restrictions imposed for COVID are lifted, many young people are finding it difficult to socialise in real life rather than online. The situation is even bleaker for those young people facing the most disadvantage – those not in work or education or those from poorer backgrounds – whose wellbeing, confidence and life experience is consistently worse. A quarter of young people report that they always feel anxious, compared to 15% of people who are working or studying.

Concerning evidence of a growing gap between the mental health of girls and boys is also revealed in a new report which looked at the experiences of 15,000 secondary pupils from before the pandemic up to December 2021. Girls aged 11 were 30% more likely to suffer from poor mental health than boys of the same age. By 18 they are twice as likely to experience mental health issues. Worryingly, the number of girls hiding their problems from others also rose, with 60% of girls going to great lengths to hide their unhappiness before the pandemic to 80% now. The report also suggests that their mental health is most at risk between the ages of 14 and 18.

Compared with 2018, both sexes are 40% less trusting of others, 25% less likely to take risks and 25% less able to choose an appropriate response to life challenges. Under-18s needing care for issues ranging from self-harm to eating disorders between April and October 2021 had increased by 77% compared to the same period in 2019.

Finally, a survey by the Office for National Statistics also highlighted the difference in feeling between young people and the rest of the population, with 42% of 16-29-year-olds reporting high levels of anxiety compared with just 29% for people aged 50 to 69. The youngest are the only group where the majority say they feel lonely often, always or some of the time.

With the number of young people waiting for mental health support at its highest level ever, there is an urgent need for society to work together to ensure that support is targeted at those who need it most. The Jo Cox Foundation has recognised that the age group most likely to experience loneliness is 16–24-year-olds and, as part of its campaign to tackle the issue, will share resources that include young people in conversations about loneliness – from assembly packs and lesson plans for schools to social media content to help schools ensure that young people feel able to discuss how they feel.  1.47 million people took part in the Great Winter Get Together held in January this year, with 79% reporting they felt less embarrassed about talking about loneliness and 95% saying that participating made them feel happier.

The CEO of the Prince’s Trust in the UK, Jonathan Townsend, has signalled his fears that this downward spiral in mental health will scar our younger generation for life unless we act now. The approaching cost of living crisis will undoubtedly hit the most disadvantaged families the hardest and it will often be young people who experience the fallout from that, at home and in the wider world. It’s crucial that businesses, government and charities work together to provide them with the tools to build life skills and confidence and create and protect opportunities that will offer them stable and fulfilling lives. That will not only allow our young people to thrive but also their communities and the wider economy.

Seema Kennedy OBE, Levelling Up Goals Co-Chair; former Minister for Public Health, Home Office Minister, and the Prime Minister's Parliamentary Private Secretary