YOUNG people are far more troubled than they were 30 years ago, according to a new study for the Nuffield Foundation.
Compiling parents’ ratings of the extent of their children’s problems (from 0 to two), the study discovered that behaviour problems such as lying and disobedience had doubled, while emotional difficulties such as depression had also risen significantly. But much-publicised hyper-activity problems have not risen notably.
The Foundation speculates that the rise may be connected to increasing academic expectations. Young people who struggle at school may feel they have little to offer.