When asked about their current mental health or well-being only 15% of Gen Z claim it to be excellent. Members of Gen Z are much more likely to report experiencing negative emotions such as stress, anxiety and loneliness. Too many young people lack the support they need, due to fear of discussing concerns, not being taken seriously, and being misunderstood among other issues such as lack of permission to access care or affordable care. Still, 79% of Gen Z believe their age group is best at addressing mental health. Psychologist Arthur Evans says “This generation may be more tuned in to recognizing issues with their mental health than older generations”.
People born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, known as Generation Z or more popularly called Gen Z, face a range of issues that take a toll on their mental health and well-being.
When asked about their mental health or well-being only 15% of Gen Z claim it to be excellent.
According to the Pew Research center, some 70% of teens across all genders, races and family-income levels say that anxiety and depression are significant problems among their peers. According to a study by the JAMA Network of Medical Journals, suicide rates for individuals of all ages in the United States increased by 30% from 2000 to 2016 and peaked for youth in 2017. Though in the past years, the mental health of everyone has deteriorated a significant amount, the most impact can be seen on Gen Z even compared to millennials. According to research published in the Lancet rates of depression and anxiety rose by more than 25% in 2020 across the world.
The Gallup- WFF study said members of Gen Z are much more likely to report experiencing negative emotions such as stress, anxiety and loneliness. In today’s digital era, digital natives or Gen Z, are often faced with unprecedented pressure and complexities. From increased academic stress to social media comparison, going through a global pandemic in their developmental years of life has impacted their mental health in many ways.
Gen Z suffers from high levels of stress, anxiety and depression due to academic pressure, social media comparisons, economic uncertainty, joblessness, student loans, and school shootings. Despite being digitally connected Gen Z often experiences feelings of loneliness and isolation in this fast-paced world, growing up with social media also contributes to low self-esteem, fear of missing out, cyberbullying, and shame in falling short of social media standards. The pandemic radically changed their educational and social experience, destabilised economies, robbed youth of a parent or loved one, and prompted them to take more responsible roles.
Too many young people experience added stress due to discrimination based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity. In 2020, 3.7 million kids ages 3 to 17 had been treated or judged unfairly based on their race or ethnicity, and 1% of it was based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. As per the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey and Leading Causes of Death, girls and young women are more likely to plan and attempt suicide, but males are more likely to die by suicide for instance, in 2020 males accounted for 80% of suicides among youth ages 15–24. According to a survey done by Melissa DuPont Reyes people of color are more likely to suppress, downplay or ignore their emotions altogether, mental illness in communities can incur a badge of shame.
Too many young people lack the support they need, due to fear of discussing concerns, not being taken seriously, and being misunderstood among other issues such as lack of permission to access care or affordable care.
Based on the Deloitte Indian Gen-Z Survey Report for 2022, approximately 35-40% of the corporate workforce in India belongs to the Gen Z demographic and in this group, 49% of Indian Gen Z individuals experience consistent feelings of anxiety or stress.
Despite it all, 79% of Gen Z believe their age group is best at addressing mental health, 42% of Gen Z have received mental health diagnoses, 20% have been to therapy and 60% are on medication to help manage their mental health.
“This generation may be more tuned in to recognizing issues with their mental health than older generations”.
Arthur Evan, psychologist
Written by – Siddhi Bhadeegar | Edited by- Nirjara Poptani
