Half of young people in East of England's mental health impacted by the cost of living crisis
74% are worried about it impacting their ability to get a job
Young people across the East of England say their mental health is being impacted by the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Half of 16-25 year olds polled in the region have said the crisis is impacting their mental health negatively, with 74% also feeling concerned about it's affect on them being able to get a secure job now and in the future.
The research of young people and parents across the East, from national youth work charity UK Youth has raised concerns about these issues amongst young people in the region, as well as impacts such as having access to regular meals.
There is growing evidence of long-term effects, with just 6% of young people having no concerns at all.
The concerns also relate to social matter, with a third of young people polled saying they are more lonely as they reduce their social life to save money.
Eight in ten parents (81%) are also concerned that the cost of living crisis will impact their children's future.
The majority of those polled (55%) believe the government is not providing enough support, whilst nearly eight in ten of those concerned (79%) believe better or increased access to youth work would help.
45% of parents agree with young people in the region, believing the cost of living crisis is restricting employment opportunities.
The evidence also shows that an alarming number of parents – almost one in five (18%) – are eating fewer regular meals to save money to support their children.
There are concerns that the government could be doing more to help, as well as providing better support for youth work to ensure they can continue.
UK Youth's research found that more than half of parents (55%) believe the government is not doing enough, while almost half of young people (47%) feel the same.
East youth support organisation believes the issues date back to the pandemic.
Sporting Inspirations CIC is an organisation that helps transform the lives of young people aged 8-25 in some of the most socially deprived areas of the East of England. Activities include sports, personal fitness, martial arts, boxercise, music, dance, personal development, mentoring, healthy cooking, arts & crafts, employability, youth leadership, mental health support, yoga and meditation.
John Manitara, CEO of Sporting Inspirations, said: “The pandemic had a huge impact on young people, and we are still dealing with the fallout of increased mental health problems, behavioural challenges and other complex issues, including homelessness, which have soared. The cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated the situation further and challenging times are ahead. We are dealing with a 33 per cent increase in young people coming to us, which means we need more funding to cope not just with rising costs generally but increased demand.
“The activities we offer to young people are essential, with huge benefits for socialising, physical and mental health, social skills and self-esteem. Yet when families are facing difficult decisions about how to tighten the household budget, membership of a sports club is likely to be the one of the first things to go. All the activities we provide to young people for are free.
“We are actively working with partner agencies and potential sponsors to develop a new self-sustainable model to create more sports clubs with no subs, free kit and no need to buy equipment. It means they can continue to do the activities they love without worrying about the cost, whilst improving their physical and emotional wellbeing.”
Organisations such as Sporting Inspirations CIC are appealing for extra help to keep providing their services. They have recently been awarded a grant of £6,800 by UK Youth and Pears Foundation to help manage the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.
A separate UK Youth survey found two thirds of youth organisations (63%) are seeing increased demand for services from young people, with a similar figure (67%) facing increased operating costs, at the same time as more than half are seeing a decrease in funding (51%) and a drop in staff wellbeing (53%).
Ndidi Okezie OBE, Chief Executive of UK Youth, said:
“These figures must be a wake-up call for our country – our young people are struggling in the face of the cost of living crisis and they need help. Parents and carers are rightly concerned and are having to make difficult personal sacrifices to survive. Youth organisations, who provide essential support to young people, are also on their knees. The situation cannot be allowed to continue as it is.
“There is overwhelming public support for greater investment into young people. Funding to ensure quality youth services are accessible in all local areas is an untapped way to do that. Giving our young people what they need to navigate these challenging times is not just the right moral choice – it’s the sound economic decision for our country. If we fail an entire generation of children and young people, we ultimately fail the future of our society. Politicians, funders, businesses – everyone must play their part.”