Trends in Wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand: 2000-2020 has been released. Take a read of the following:
"The proportion of people aged 15-24 with high or very high levels of psychological distress has increased from 5% in 2011/12 to 19% in 2020/21". What? Nearly one in five of our youth are now highly mentally distressed!?
Figure 14 in the report shows that psychological distress increased MOST amongst 15-24 year olds in the 2020-21 year, compared with any other time over the past decade. School closures, severe lockdowns and restrictions, as well as nearly three years on Zoom for tertiary students have been devastating for Kiwi youth.
"Loneliness is highest among people aged 15-24 & has increased between 2014 & 2018. Teen suicide rates are among the worst in the OECD. Cognitive skills at age 15 are also in decline. Levels of school attendance are declining & particularly low among those in more-deprived areas. We also have the highest rate of bullying in the OECD .. People aged under 25 are least likely to report a high sense of belonging to Aotearoa NZ, least likely to report that life is worthwhile & less likely to vote than young people in other OECD countries".
My God. What have the Key and Ardern governments gone and done to the youth of NZ?
Sources: