Young men most likely to break lockdown rules, mental health study in Sheffield shows

Young men have been breaching the lockdown rules, believing they are not as risk of catching Covid-19, a study in Sheffield has revealed.
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More than half of young men aged 19-24 have gone against the guidelines by meeting with a group of friends, showing they are far less compliant than other young people.

This group was also more likely to think that following the government’s guidelines was not worthwhile. The findings suggest ministers need to explain the reasons for ongoing physical distancing rules as they begin to lift some lockdown measures.

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Researchers from the University of Sheffield and Ulster University found one in five men aged 19-21 have been dispersed, arrested, fined or taken home by police for breaking the rules – compared with just one in ten0 women of the same age.

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Levels of anxiety and depression were found to play a significant part in how far young people adhere to the physical distancing guidelines. Those who were more anxious were more likely to comply, whereas those with higher levels of depression were more likely to break the rules.

The team of psychologists, led by Dr Liat Levita from the University of Sheffield, surveyed a UK representative group of 2,000 13-24-year-olds to examine the impact of the pandemic on young people at different stages of development, and identify the factors influencing their mental resilience.

Their initial findings show 40-50 per cent of young people are feeling significantly more anxious than they did before the outbreak. The youngest teenagers showed the highest rates of anxiety, while older groups showed lower levels of overall wellbeing.

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Dr Levita said: “Explaining the reasons behind ongoing physical distancing measures will be crucial to persuading young men to follow the rules as the government begins to ease the lockdown.

“Our young people are growing up in a time of pandemic, and our study is helping us understand the implications of this on their current and future wellbeing. We should applaud them on how they are managing to cope.”

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