ONE in three young people in Brighton and Hove feel depressed, a new report warns.

This figure also soars among those not in employment, education or training, known as NEETS.

The Prince’s Trust Youth Index has found nearly one in three young people in the city think their prospects have been permanently damaged by the recession.

A quarter felt they have no future because of the economic crisis, as more than one in ten young people in Brighton struggle to find work.

Zak Pichon-Flannery, 21, was unemployed for a year after doing a cultural apprenticeship.

After overcoming dyslexia at school, being jobless left him feeling isolated, eroded his self-confidence and left him disheartened.

He said: “When you’re growing up you think you’re going to walk straight into a job but in reality that’s not true.

“As more time went by and I wasn’t hearing from employers, I lost motivation to do anything and I started to become anxious about the smallest tasks.

“The recession definitely played a big part. I used to hear all the time how difficult the job market was so I started to believe that I would never find work. It was a real low point.”

A Prince’s Trust development course has helped him into work, get more qualifications and start volunteering.

Richard Parish, chief executive of the Royal Society of Public Health, said: “The Youth Index clearly shows a worrying discrepancy between young people who are in work and those who are not.

“These unemployed young people need support to regain their self-worth and, ultimately, get them back in the workplace.”

For more information about The Prince’s Trust visit www.princes-trust.org.uk/youthindex.