One in five young people in Suffolk feel loved 'none of the time' or 'rarely' according to new research, with mental health at an all-time low.

Nearly 4,900 young people took part in an annual survey about their wellbeing for the latest 'My Health, Our Future' (MHoF) report compiled by Healthwatch Suffolk.

The results show that the wellbeing of young people in Suffolk remains lower than in all previous years of the survey.

One in five young people reported feeling loved 'none of the time' or 'rarely,' while nearly a third felt cheerful 'rarely or 'none of the time'.

Two in five respondents reported 'moderate' to 'severe' levels of anxiety and almost a quarter said anxiety made things 'extremely' or 'very' difficult for them.

A quarter of the young people surveyed had self-harmed and half of these said they did not know where to find help, but awareness of support has improved generally.

The findings also revealed higher levels of bullying, with just under a third of young people saying they had experienced a form of bullying in school or outside of school and half saying they had not received any help or support to make it stop.

The survey also highlights how some groups of young people are most affected by wellbeing concerns.

For example, young people who did not identify with binary gender categories were amongst the most likely to have low wellbeing, with 1,058 responses from LGBT*Q+ young people.

However, wellbeing has not fallen further than the 2021 statistics, which is believed to show that young people may be starting to recover following the negative impact of changes brought by Covid-19.

Wendy Herber, independent chair of Healthwatch Suffolk, said: "Our findings show how important it is for young people to feel supported.

"In their comments, young people have told us how their wellbeing has been improved by the decisive action of others who have made themselves available to listen.

"From the teacher who has intervened when a young person has been bullied, to the doctor who takes the time to really listen to, and acknowledge, their concerns.

"There should not be a wrong door for young people who need support."