Part of this may be down to age. Late adolescence (18 to 21) is what Dr Sandi Mann, a senior psychology lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire, calls the “peak ages” for many mental health problems, including OCD, anxiety and depression.
There is no recent parallel data that directly compares the mental health of young people who do not attend university or higher education.
But combining the stresses of late adolescence, academic pressure, learning how to live independently, and, for some, part-time work, creates the “prime conditions” for mental health issues, argues Dr Mann.
A lack of “resilience” also concerns her. “I’m not talking about serious mental health issues, such as severe OCD, anxiety and depression,” she says.
“Of course they need help. But young people seem to struggle more coping with the day-to-day stresses of everyday life.”