A new study by Youthline has found that many young people have been struggling with feelings of fear, anxiety and grief during the COVID-19 crisis.
The study, which compared the attitudes towards COVIC-19 during the lockdown amongst New Zealanders of different ages, found that people under 25 were more likely than those over the age of 25 to say that lockdown has had a negative impact on their life.
Youthline surveyed 975 people aged over 12 years between 11-24th April. Overall, the study found that more than 72% of all respondents agreed that COVID-19 and lockdown have had an impact on their mental health.
When asked about the negative effects of lockdown, the greatest difference experienced between young people and those over 25 years was ‘craving normality and fearing the future’ (36% compared to 22%).
Overall young people were more likely than older adults to report that their need for social connections and emotional support were not being met during lockdown.
The survey comes as Youthline experiences a huge 50% increase in the number of texts from young people contacting its Helpline for support.
Shae Ronald, Youthline’s CEO says, “It is absolutely vital that the voices of our young people are heard as the reduced social connection and peer friendships experienced during Lockdown add to significant mental health issues already facing our rangatahi. Since COVID-19 Youthline is projecting a $300,000 shortfall in its Helpline funding. We would ask Kiwis to continue to show their support for this service during these challenging times.”
To help Youthline meet its target and cope with the demand for support, a givealittle page has been set up which you can donate to here. You can also donate $3 by texting YL to 5144 or visit their website youthline.co.nz
