More than one in 10 young people living in Brighton and Hove have experienced symptoms of mental illness as a direct result of unemployment, a report warns today.

A survey of young people in the city carried out by the Princes Trust found 16%reported feelings including suicidal thoughts and panic attacks.

Some have been prescribed antidepressants, while other problems included feelings of self-loathing, insomnia, feeling inferior to others, difficulty controlling anger, drinking large amounts of alcohol and taking drugs.


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Forty per cent of young people in the city said they ‘always’ or ‘often’ feel down or depressed while almost one in four said they felt like an outcast.

Dermot Finch, southern regional director of The Prince’s Trust, said: “Here in Brighton 5,800 young people are facing longterm unemployment and there is a real danger that these young people will become hopeless, as well as jobless.

“At The Prince’s Trust we provide vulnerable young people with sustained support, through both our long-term personal development programmes and our work within schools across the capital.

“If you are struggling to get back into work, education or training, you are not alone and you need not struggle alone.”

Nicola Smith, 30, from Brighton, is one of those people to benefit from the charity’s support.

She took a risk in using every penny she had to put herself through college but eventually got work experience and saw a gap in the market to offer hair and beauty services in Brighton.

She went to The Prince’s Trust for business advice and financial support and, at the same time, found two business partners and a base for her venture, Pretty Pout.

But just three months in she was let down by one of the partners and was forced to move from the property she had secured and she was left with almost nothing.

Ms Smith said: “If there was ever a good time to give up, this was it. There were times that I thought this was the last chapter.

“But I eventually found the motivation to carry on. I don’t regret anything because it enabled me to get my name out there.”

The whole experience inspired Ms Smith to keep going with her business idea to make it a success.

And she has had continued help from the charity.

For more information, visit www.princes-trust.org.uk.

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