The Instagram logo

Feel their pain

Research from the University of Oxford has found that nearly one in 10 young people are experiencing both persistent physical pain and suicidal feelings.

The paper highlighted that fewer than half were in recent contact with their GP, and a quarter were not accessing any support services at all.

Researchers from Oxford University's Department of Psychiatry have observed that access to prescription medication for pain and mental health difficulties has stronger associations with increasing the risk of suicidality.

As a result, experts have called for the now critical need for increasing young people's access to a range of diverse treatments beyond strong, traditional drugs.

A further study by medical cannabis clinic Mamedica showed that over one in five (22%) of 18-24-year-olds say that the fear of being prescribed strong medications leads them to avoid seeing their GP altogether.

This comes as the NHS battled with increased demand during the NHS nursing strike while also navigating a national mental health emergency.

Mamedica's findings further revealed that a staggering 60% of young people have accepted physical pain as the norm, having not found a remedy to help in the last five years. This exacerbates the nation's pain epidemic experienced by an estimated 15.5 million Brits.

Read more Insights here...