The Guardian reported this week that, "the mental health of teenagers has sharply declined in the last 25 years and the chances that 15-year-olds will have behavioural problems such as lying, stealing and being disobedient, have more than doubled."
According to the Guardian, the results of a three-generation study, which have just been released, show that emotional problems such as anxiety and depression have increased by 70% among teenagers in the last 25 years. The report says that girls are more likely to suffer emotional problems while boys are more likely to suffer behavioural problems; but the rate is higher for emotional problems. One in five 15-year-old girls now suffer emotional problems of some kind.
The full article can be read at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1303062,00.html
The study does not draw any solid conclusions as to the causes of increased behavioural and emotional problems. The researchers however, claim that it cannot be explained by the rise in divorce and single parenthood because comparable increases were found in all types of families. Increases were also comparable in all social classes, which according to the researchers, means that the problem cannot be explained by growing inequality over the past 25 years. There was also no difference in the rates of rise found in ethnic and white teenagers.
So what is the cause? The study did find that the rising rates of behavioural problems among 15-year-olds was linked to their increased chances of experiencing difficult situations as adults, for example: being sacked, homelessness, dependency on benefits and poor mental and physical health.
This suggests that the rise in problems cannot be credited to an increase in young people's willingness to report them.
The Guardian ran an accompanying article entitled 'Our Teenage Canaries', which looks at some of the different arguments about the reasons for these disturbing increases. Some people claim it is our education system and our emphasis on academic achievement that is to blame. Others seem to claim that it is down to the low moral standard of young people today, thereby absolving everyone, besides young people themselves of blame. Earlier this summer Tony Blair blamed 60s values for increases in anti-social behaviour. Whatever the reasons, this issue urgently needs to be addressed.
This is a debate that has been going on for some time. But here at Young Citizens In Action we would like to see more young people involved in that debate. This is an issue about young people and yet young people are rarely asked for their views on it. Young people are rarely asked why they think there is so much anti-social behaviour. They are rarely asked why they think so many of their peers are depressed; or even why they themselves are depressed. And they are rarely asked what they think can or should be done about these issues. Young people are not stupid. Most may have less life experience than many adults, but they understand better than any of us what it is like to be a teenager in our society today. It is time that we gave young people an opportunity to help us understand these issues from their point of view.
What do you think? Why not talk to young people about this or any other issue that is important to you on our online discussion forum.
The Guardian article, Our Teenage Canaries can be found online at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1303025,00.html
Lobbying
Listen! You don't have to wait for an election to influence policy. You can tell decision makers what you think, at any time. This is called lobbying. So...
To read more about lobbying as a way of influencing policy, click on the online citizenship button at the side of this page.
Volunteering
If you would like to get more actively involved in issues concerning young people, why not drop in and register with us at the Voluntary Service Bureau. We have a wide range of opportunities from helping out at after school clubs to mentoring a young person who is at risk of getting involved in crime.
On the other hand, you may just want to get out of the house and do something different. We have vacancies to suit all kinds of interests. So whatever your interests are, give us a call at the Bureau on 02890 200850. Alternatively you can call into our office at 34 Shaftsbury Square.
