Young women in Ireland have the highest levels of depression in Europe, according to a new study.
Research from Eurofound shows that 17% of women between 15 and 24 in Ireland report being moderately or severely depressed, compared to an EU average of 9%.
The Eurostat data shows that gender is an important factor in depression with young women aged 15–24 more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms than young men.
The greatest gender gaps were in Denmark, Germany, Ireland and Sweden.
The numbers also show that young women are more likely to handle upsetting events internally – a factor linked to depression. These include higher rates of self-harm and eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia among.
Ireland has the highest overall incidence of moderate to severe depressive symptoms among young people in the EU.
The report highlights the impact of the economic crisis on young people with a 78% increase in homelessness among this age group between 2016 and 2018.
The study also highlights other pressures such as eating disorders and cyberbullying.
