New YouGov poll reveals the reasons why Britons cry

Young people are mostly upset by low self-confidence and anxiety

(Corbis)

Britain's young people are crying because they lack self-confidence, according to a new study.

The research, carried out by YouGov, investigated what causes the country to well up, as well as which demographics are more likely to be in need of a tissue.

18 to 24 year-olds are the most tearful age group. Of the people in this demographic who had cried within the last year, 44 per cent had done so because of low self-confidence.

Unspecified sadness or anxiety was also a significant cause of their woes (43 per cent), while work-related stress had left 38 per cent sobbing.

However, when taking the whole country into account, the science behind our sadness does not seem quite as bleak.

YouGov's findings on what makes British adults and 18-24 year-olds cry (YouGov)

Sad films and novels are, by some distance, the main cause of crying among British adults. 37 per cent had to reach for the tissues after enjoying tear-jerkers like Titanic, The Notebook and One Day.

What's more, 26 per cent those who had cried did so because of 'someone else's happiness', suggesting a sizeable amount of Britain's adult population are compassionate sorts.

Meanwhile, the old association between traditional British values and a stiff upper-lip was also borne out in the results.

33 per cent of those who voted for Ukip at the last general election claimed that they had not cried at all during the previous 12 months.