ILO survey: Half of world's youth population subject to depression due to job uncertainty

According to a report by International labor organization, half of the young population is subjected to anxiety and depression causing circumstances and more than a third are uncertain of their future career prospects because of coronavirus pandemic. A survey conducted by ILO, named 'Youth and Covid-19: impacts on jobs, education, rights, and mental well-being' found that if an urgent step is not taken, the young population is at the risk of suffering the severe and perennial effect of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The COVID 19 pandemic has disrupted every aspect of our lives. Even before the onset of the crisis, the social and economic integration of young people was an ongoing challenge. Now, unless urgent action is taken, young people are likely to suffer severe and long-lasting impacts from the pandemic”, the report said on August 11.

The survey conducted by International Labour Organization aimed to capture the immediate impact of the pandemic on the lives of youths (aged 18 to 29 years) with regard to employment, education, mental health, rights, and social activism. Over 12,000 responses were received from 112 countries, with a large proportion coming from educated youths with access to the Internet.

The results from the survey found that 50 percent of the young population all around the globe is subjected to anxiety or depression, while 17 percent are probably affected by it. The survey said, "Severe disruption to learning and working, compounded by the health crisis, has seen a deterioration in young people's mental well-being,".

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Students worst affected

The report further added mental well-being is lowest for young women and younger youths between the ages of 18 and 24 years. Young people whose education or work was either disrupted or had stopped completely were almost twice as likely to be affected by anxiety or depression as compared to those who continued to be employed or whose education was not affected. While focusing on student report said, 73 per cent of the young people, who were either studying or combining study and work before the beginning of the crisis, experienced school closures though all of them were not able to transition into online and distance learning.

The coronavirus has left one in eight young people (13 per cent) without any access to courses, teaching or training -- a situation particularly acute among the youth in low-income countries and one that serves to underline the sharp digital divide that exists between regions. Commenting on the crisis on young people Director-General Guy Ryder said, "The pandemic is inflicting multiple shocks on young people. It is not only destroying their jobs and employment prospects but also disrupting their education and training and having a serious impact on their mental well-being."

(With Inputs from the agency)

(Image Credit- Twitter)

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