Responding to Alan Milburn’s Young people and work: interim report today, Centre for Mental Health chief executive Andy Bell said: “Young people’s mental health has been deteriorating for a decade. It has been left to chance for too long. Inaction from successive governments has left a generation of young people with poorer mental health, lower wellbeing and higher anxiety. For too many, this has badly affected their chances in a labour market that is constricting and restricting opportunity for young workers. Almost a million young adults are not in work, education or training. This we know can have lasting effects on their mental health and living standards throughout their lives.
“Today’s report is clear. Young people in Britain today have poorer mental health than previous generations. They are just as keen to work, and they want a better future. But years of inaction across health, education and employment services have let young people down. The changing labour market and the dominance of digital communication in young people’s lives have added extra pressure. Yet too many times young people have been blamed unfairly for the challenges they are facing.
“The report shows that neglecting children and young people’s mental health has devastating consequences. The Government’s recent pledge to create a mental health strategy for England is a chance to turn that around. It must include action to promote and protect mental health throughout our lives, including help for new parents, an education that prepares children for life in mentally healthier schools, and early support hubs in every community.
“We’re pleased to see that the report also presents a hopeful picture of the future. Young people want to learn, work and contribute. With the right support, including employment programmes based on the effective Individual Placement and Support model, we know this is possible. No one should be either written off or penalised because of their mental health.
“Action must be based on evidence of what works. We know that restricting or reducing benefit payments harms mental health. Investment in better health, education and employment support is vital, but it must not be at the expense of the least well off through cuts in social security entitlements.
“We’re delighted that Alan Milburn’s interim report sets the record straight about young people’s experiences of health, education and the labour market. This report is rare in that it doesn’t blame young people or minimise the challenges they face, something too many have done instead of fixing the problems. Instead, it points to structural faults that are harming young people’s health and living standards. We hope that this will lead to meaningful change that works for a generation of young people that has been badly let down for too long.”
