Today marks the end of Mental Health Awareness Week, but the struggle for millions of anxious minds is only just beginning. With all the focus on protecting over-70s, it’s our young adults who’ve been overlooked.
Around 23 million people are dealing with mental health issues during lockdown, but it’s the 20-somethings feeling it most. Yes, the physical health risks are lower for them and they can seem like an alien species to anyone who’s ever plucked white hair out of their eyebrows.
But they are at a far higher risk of depression, suicide and self-harm. While a third of the population feels that lockdown measures have battered their mental health, it’s the under-24s – so-called Gen Z – feeling the most lonely and sad, and battling