An Angus man has spoken of his battle against depression as a new report reveals 750,000 youngsters feel they have nothing to live for.
The Prince’s Trust Macquarie Youth Index shows long-term unemployed young people are more than twice as likely to have been prescribed anti-depressants.
The survey, based on interviews with 2,161 people aged 16-25, reveals one in three have contemplated suicide, while one in four have self-harmed.
It also shows 40% of jobless young people have faced symptoms of mental illness, including suicidal thoughts, feelings of self-loathing and panic attacks as a direct result of unemployment.
According to the report, the group are more than twice as likely as their peers to believe they have nothing to live for.
Arbroath man Steve Hardie was unemployed for eight years before getting help from the Prince’s Trust.
He had become introverted and was suffering from suicidal thoughts following an unprovoked attack and the loss of his father.
“Being out of work knocked my confidence and made me feel like a failure,” he said.
“I felt I had nothing to offer, so I couldn’t see why anyone would ever want to employ me.”
Things got so bad Steve rarely left the house and he felt increasingly hopeless.
However, after receiving help from a psychologist, he got involved with the Prince’s Trust 12-week personal development course.
“I was meeting new people and learning new things every day, which helped me to feel more positive,” he said.
Steve is now a young ambassador for trust and is helping other unemployed young people in the area.
Scotland has seen a 243% increase in the number of young people claiming benefits for more than six months since the start of the recession.
Rachel Oxley, 21, from Dundee, felt any chance for a future was “non-existent” due to her circumstances.
She joined Team, a Prince’s Trust programme aimed at improving the confidence and employability prospects of unemployed young people.
She said: “I was petrified of groups and didn’t think I’d be able to cope but the support I got from my team leader was incredible and helped me overcome my fears. I had no self-belief and constantly doubted my abilities.
“Now, for the first time in years I have manageable goals to achieve and a positive path in front of me.”
The trust is now calling for support from government, health agencies and employers to fund its work with young people battling mental health issues.
Allan Watt, director of youth charity for the Prince’s Trust Scotland, said: “Unemployment is proven to cause devastating, long-lasting mental health problems among young people.
“Thousands wake up every day believing life isn’t worth living and struggles with unemployment clearly exacerbate this.
“While we welcome recent figures which show youth unemployment is decreasing in Scotland, the underlying problems affecting the thousands faced with a long-term struggle to find work must be addressed.”
“It is these young people that urgently need our help as there is a real danger that these young people will become hopeless, as well as jobless.”
Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, said: “This research proves that unemployment is a public health issue.
“It is one that must be tackled urgently and it is essential that youth unemployment is added to the public health agenda.”