A new study appears to suggest that anxiety is becoming more and more common across the UK, after finding that 32 per cent of Britons aged 18 to 30 feel more anxious now than they did this time last year – and that many are worried about their mental health.

The poll, which quizzed 4,000 people in relation to their mental health and wellbeing, shed light on some of the key issues which are causing younger Britons to feel anxious.

It found that many young people felt their anxieties were spurred on by financial instability, or concerns about how their future might pan out.

The research, which was carried out by Populus in collaboration with the Young Women’s Trust, also found that in many cases, British women are today more likely to feel anxious or worried about their mental health than their male counterparts.

Overall, 45 per cent of female respondents said that they were worried about their mental health, in comparison with 38 per cent of male respondents.

A third of young women told the study that gender discrimination had left them feeling anxious and insecure – and that they felt they had experienced such discrimination when working or looking for work.

Furthermore, black and minority ethnic (BME) respondents told the survey that they too had experienced work-related discrimination and that this had also had a significant impact on their levels of anxiety.