One in five 16 to 25-year-olds have missed school or work in the last year because of their mental health, new research has found.

The Prince’s Trust NatWest Youth Index 2024 also found similar numbers did not apply for jobs because of a mental health issue, and their mental health worsened in the last year.

The annual research report highlights how young people’s happiness with work, education, qualifications and money is at its lowest since polling began in 2009.

Figures from an online YouGov survey of 2239 adults between November 23 and December 14 2023 were weighted to represent all UK young people aged 16 to 25.

The research found one fifth (21%) of young people across the country have missed school or work in the past year due to their mental health.

One in five (21%) also said their mental health has got worse in the last year, while 18% of respondents said a mental health issue had stopped them applying for a job.

More than a quarter of those questioned (29%) said they worried their current employer would not support them if they experienced a mental health problem, and one in ten unemployed young people had left work in the past 12 months because of a mental health issue.

Jonathan Townsend, UK chief executive of The Prince’s Trust said: “This year’s report shows that rising rates of poor mental health are significantly impacting young people’s education and early careers.

“This is leading to a vicious cycle where poor mental health is having a negative impact on young people’s work, yet being unemployed has a negative impact on their wellbeing – this is a deeply concerning trap.

“We must work together to address this trap, where poor mental health and employment struggles exacerbate each other, or risk it closing in on a generation.

“Urgent support is needed from partners, governments and employers, to help young people break this cycle.”

The Prince’s Trust, founded by the King in 1976 when he was Prince of Wales, helps those from disadvantaged communities and those facing the greatest adversity by supporting them to build the confidence and skills to live, learn and earn.