In a statement, the ESRI said: “It is too early to say how long-lasting these effects will be but there appears to be a considerable risk of a longer-term scarring effect for some groups of young adults.”
Minister Roderic O’Gorman added: “During the pandemic, young people missed out on a lot of rites of passages, social interactions, and transitions that would normally mark their early 20s and this report clearly shows the cost of this disruption to their mental health and wellbeing.”
Depression can elicit a range of physical symptoms from people as well as psychological including:
• Moving or speaking more slowly than usual
• Changes in appetite and weight
• Constipation
• Unexplained aches and pains
• Lack of energy
• Low sex drive
• Changes to the menstrual cycle
• Disturbed sleep.