The misery of youth: Teenagers depressed and fearful as drink, drugs and crime take their toll

Instead of enjoying their youth, many are in the depths of depression, the survey found.

They are under stress and terrified of being attacked in the street. Many have turned to drink and drugs in response.

Many young people are fearful of violent crime

The shockingly bleak picture of early adulthood emerged from a survey of 1,000 people in the 16-24 age group.

Four out of ten said they were unhappy with their lives, while nearly half of those aged 16 and 17 said they had suffered depression.

Some 55 per cent claimed they are more stressed now than ever before, one in three are less happy than they were a year ago, and almost two thirds  -  63 per cent  -  said they think young people are more depressed than ever before.

More than a quarter, 28 per cent, said they 'wish they were someone else', and one in five said they had suffered problems from excessive drinking.

Girls were more likely to suffer depression than boys, the survey found.

Almost 50 per cent of 16-24 year olds know at least one person their age with mental health problems, and 56 per cent know at least one person their age with a drug addiction.

Camila Batmangelidjh, the founder of charity Kids Company, said: 'These findings are shocking.

'What young people need more than anything else is significant caring adults in their lives and fundamentally that's what's missing.

'Those with a strong family network have resilience and will manage in tougher social conditions.'

Psychologist Dr Dorothy Rowe said: 'Young people have always felt a great deal of angst, but at the moment they really don't know what the future is going to bring.

' In areas such as climate change, they fear what is going to happen to the world, and they are helpless.'

The study, by the music channel MTV, found that 24 per cent felt they could not talk to their parents about their concerns, eight per cent sought help in chat rooms and only six per cent have tried to obtain professional help.

Most teenagers were fearful about crime, with 78 per cent saying that they do not feel safe to walk the streets.

Around 20 per cent of males had been threatened with a knife or other weapon, 11 per cent had been urged to join a gang, 15 per cent felt pressured into carrying a weapon, and 27 per cent know at least one person who carries a weapon.

MTV released the survey as it launched MTVi, an online service offering support for young people.

www.mtvi.co.uk

Last year a UNICEF report found that Britain was ranked bottom in terms of child well-being across 21 industrialised countries.