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Risk factors that impact on mental health


Alcohol

  • 33% of young men and 24% of young women drank twice as much as the recommended amount of alcohol per day.8
  • Young people are more likely to drink heavily with 48% of men aged 16-24 and 39% of women aged 16-24 reporting that they drink more than the recommended amount. Their heaviest drinking days are weekends, so they are more likely to binge drink than older adults.8


Crime

Prison population

  • In August 2006 there were 11,588 15-21 year-olds being held in prisons in England and Wales.9
  • 11,093 were young men, and 495 were young women.9
  • 2,528 were aged between 15-17 years, and 9,060 were aged between 18-20 years.9


Victims of Crime

  • Young men aged between 16-24 years are most at risk of being a victim of violent crime. In 2005/06 12.6% of young men in this age group experienced a violent crime compared to 7% of women in same age group, or 5.5% of men aged between 25-34.10
  • Young people are more likely to be victims of theft. 2.3% of young men and 3.3% of young women were victims of theft during 2005/6.10


Drugs

  • Young people aged between 16-24 reported the highest levels of drug use in 2004/05.11
  • It is estimated that about over 2.75 million young people in England and Wales have used an illicit drug at some point in their lives. Over one and half million used drugs in the previous year.11
  • It is estimated that 15.8% of 16-24 year olds had used a Class A drug at least once in their lifetime.11
  • It is estimated that 45.8% of 16-24 year-olds have used one or more illicit drugs in their lifetime and 16.3% in the last month.11
  • Cannabis is the most popular drug amongst 16-24 year-olds. It is estimated that 23.5%  have used cannabis in the last year. The next most commonly used drugs were cocaine and ecstasy.11
  • About 40% of young people aged 16-19 years-olds and 51% of 20-24 year-olds have reported that they have taken drugs at some point.12


Education

  • In England and Wales about 62% of 16-19 year-olds and about 22% of 20-24 year olds are in full-time education.1
  • According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Returns in 2004/05 there were 1,307,730 16-25 year olds in Higher Education. Of these there are 1,136, 015 undergraduates and 171, 715 postgraduates.13


Employment and Unemployment

  • According to the 2001 Census there are 2,100,946 16-24 year-olds in full-time employment in England and Wales.1
  • 327,000 are unemployed, 213,000 are economically inactive, and looking after the home/family and 62,000 are permanently sick or disabled.1


Homelessness

  • Provisional data for 2005/06 indicates that in England there were 8,350 homeless young people aged between 16/17 or care leavers aged between 18-20. This data is based on local authorities decisions on homeless applications, so the actual figure could be higher.14


Learning disabilities

  • There is no national data regarding the prevalence of learning disabilities amongst young adults, but the following data estimates prevalence in either children or adults.
  • It is estimated that there are about 65,000 children and young people with severe and profound learning disabilities.15
  • The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities states that there is growing evidence that about 40% of young people with a learning disability will experience significant mental health problems.16
  • It is estimated that there are around 160,000 adults with severe and profound learning disabilities.17
  • There has been an increase in the number of babies born with Down Syndrome. There were 316 babies born with Down Syndrome in 1994 compared to 456 in 2004.18


Leaving Care

  • There were 5,300 care leavers who were 19 in 2006. Of these 63% were in education, training or employment, 30% were not in education, training or employment, and they had lost touch with 7%.19
  • Just over 40% were living independently, but 7% were classed as being in ‘other’ types of accommodation, which included bed & breakfast, and emergency accommodation. 19


Teenage Pregnancy

  • In England and Wales during 2004 there were just over 45,000 live births to women aged under 20 years.20
  • There were an estimated 42,150 conceptions to women under 18 in 2004, compared to 42,162 in 2003. Around 45.6 % of those conceptions in 2004 led to a legal abortion.18


References

1 Office for National Statistics (2004). Census 2001: national report for England and Wales. London: Office for National Statistics. See http://www.statistics.gov.uk/

2 Registrar General for Scotland (2002). Scotland's Census 2001: population report. Edinburgh: General Register Office for Scotland.
See http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/

3 Northern Ireland Census Access (2001). Census 2001.
See: http://www.nicensus2001.gov.uk/

4 Singleton, N., Bumpstead, R., O'Brien, M., et al. (2001). Psychiatric morbidity among adults living in private households, 2000. London: The Stationery Office.

5 Babb, P., Butcher, H., Church, J., et al. (2006). Social Trends, No. 36. London: Palgrave.
See http://www.statistics.gov.uk/

6 Office for National Statistics (2005). Health Statistics Quarterly, No. 28. London: Office for National Statistics. See http://www.statistics.gov.uk/

7 Brock, A., Baker, A., Griffiths, C., et al. (2006). Suicide trends and geographical variations in the United Kingdom 1991-2004. Health Statistics Quarterly, Autumn 2006 (31), pp. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/

8 The Information Centre (2006). Statistics on alcohol: England, 2006. London: The Information Centre. See http://www.ic.nhs.uk/

9 National Offender Management Service (2006). Population in custody: monthly tables: England and Wales. See: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/

10 Home Office (2006). Crime in England and Wales 2005/06. London: Home Office. See http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/

11 Roe, S. (2005). Drug misuse declared: findings from the 2004/05 British Crime Survey: England and Wales. London: Home Office. See http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/

12 The Information Centre & Office for National Statistics (2006). Statistics on young people and drug misuse: England, 2006. See: http://www.ic.nhs.uk/

13 Higher Education Statistics Agency. (2006). Personal Communication.

14 Department for Communities and Local Government (2006). Statutory homelessness: homeless households accepted by local authorities, by priority need category. See: http://www.communities.gov.uk/

5 Do Once and Share (DOAS) Action Team (2005). Child and Adolescent Mental Health - Learning Disabilities Action Team: scoping document. See: http://www.informatics.nhs.uk

16 The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities (2002). Count us in: the report of the committee of inquiry into meeting the mental health needs of young people with learning disabilities. London: The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities.

17 Department of Health (2002). Learning disabilities: facts and figures. See: http://www.dh.gov.uk/

18 Office for National Statistics (2006). Health Statistics Quarterly, No. 29. London: Office for National Statistics. See http://www.statistics.gov.uk/

19 Department for Education & Skills (2006). Children looked after in England (including adoptions and care leavers) 2005-06. London: Department for Education & Skills. See http://www.dfes.gov.uk

20 Office for National Statistics (2006). Health Statistics Quarterly, No. 30. London: Office for National Statistics. See http://www.statistics.gov.uk/