The number of young people unable to work because of ill health has doubled in a decade to almost 200,000, amid an escalating mental health crisis among teenagers. 

A new report by the Resolution Foundation found that the number of young adults who are inactive because of health issues has risen from 94,000 in 2012 to 185,000 in 2022.

A quarter of 18-to-24 year olds who were out of work last year blamed ill health, up from just 8pc a decade earlier.

Mental health issues were by far the most common ailment, with almost two thirds citing this as the reason for being unable to work.

The findings are likely to fuel fears that Covid-19 lockdowns have stoked a mental health crisis among the young.

Mental illness among teenagers and young people was on the rise before the pandemic but cases have accelerated during and since.

More than a quarter 17-to-19 year olds had a probable mental health disorder by the end of 2022, according to NHS figures, compared to just a tenth in 2017.