In a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 63% of young people aged 18 to 24 reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, 25% reported increased substance use to cope with stress, and 25% saying I was seriously considering suicide.
“The impact of the pandemic on mental health is much greater on younger adults,” said Dr. Shaker Saxena of Harvard School of Public Health and a professor of global mental health. “Figures we have in the United States suggest that nearly two-thirds of young adults have some symptoms of anxiety or depression or other psychological problems.”
According to the National Alliance for Mental Illness, 50% of all mental illnesses throughout life develop by the age of 14, and 75% develop by the age of 24.
Even when the COVID-19 crisis ended, Saxena explained that 10% of these adults would have long-term effects from the mental health problems they currently face.
“About a third could actually have a problem serious enough for their lives to be affected in terms of their professional performance and education,” Saxena said. This could actually be a much bigger burden in terms of health and disability.
Saxena added: “Many people are losing their jobs. Some people are earning much lower incomes than before. There is uncertainty about where and what it will bring tomorrow, which is much more likely for younger adults than for middle-aged or older adults. age, because this is the time for change in their lives. “
The Healthy Minds Network conducted a survey and found that 80% of students reported that COVID-19 had a negative impact on mental health.
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Experts fear that many of those affected will not seek the professional help they need, and Dr. Sarah Lipson, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Boston University School of Public Health and co-principal investigator of the Healthy Minds Study Network, told ABC News, experts are trying to quantify this.
Black students and low-income students are significantly less likely to seek care when faced with mental health issues because of costs and availability, Lipson said. They are also the same students who are less likely to persist in higher education and graduates. There is a kind of intersection of results that we care so much about young adults in this regard.
Increased anxiety and depression
Saxena explained how the pandemic is a “perfect storm” to give rise to uncertainty, which arises from anxiety and loss, which can lead to depression. Many young adults have lost quite a lot, especially when it comes to educational and professional opportunities.
“For people between the ages of 21 and 25, this is a time of expansion in their lives, with new connections and new things,” Lipson said. “Everything is stopped. I think this is a difficult time for parts of life to stand still, when there is normally only this moment of rapid development, in which so much is happening socially and professionally. ”
“The labor market that young people enter,” she added, “is very unpredictable, which I think creates a lot of stress.”
Loneliness and social isolation
Mental Health America found that between April and September last year, 70% of people reported that loneliness or isolation was the contributing factor to mental health problems. Isolation is the effective separation from others, and loneliness is the accompanying feeling.
“It can be lonely, despite being with others. Both loneliness and self-isolation give rise to major health impacts, and communication about the need to distance oneself in the pandemic has been very unfortunate,” Saxena said.
He said that social distancing should have been called physical distancing, separate from social connection.
“People are obliged to do this because there are rules in place,” he added. “However, the test should be as connected as possible.”
Jordan Corcoran, a lawyer and founder of Listen Lucy, a mental health organization, was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder at age 19 and, now 33, described the pandemic as very challenging.
“I feel like I work every minute of the day to keep my anxiety at bay,” Corcoran said. “Isolation is an important part of managing mental illness.”
Even after receiving help and choosing to plead for others struggling with mental health disorders, Corcoran still faces his own battles every day.
“People always put all these obstacles in front of me. I don’t know how much longer I can do that,” Corcoran explained. “I check myself every day with my mental health. It’s part of my survival as part of my journey.”
What can be done
Saxena said stress at work – overworked employees, who may or may not be linked to layoffs or company restructuring – is an important factor, and employers can step in to help.
“They should be aware that people go through stress and can get into mental disorders,” he said. “All this should be covered as part of the benefits package as much as any physical problem. If you are an employer and your employees need help with counseling and psychiatric help, they should be encouraged, supported and funded in doing so. This is the best practice, which is more necessary now than ever. “
Lipson also said he believes university campuses need to provide more mental health resources and require training for faculty members so that they can better understand potential mental health issues among students.
“I think schools need to think about expanding a mental health system on campus to include and invest in a wider range of resources, as opposed to investing in more and more employees in a mental health center. counseling, ”Lipson said. “It is an imbalance that will continue to exist and be amplified in terms of the number of students who need services and the availability of counselors.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by sending HOME to 741741. You can reach Trans Lifeline at 877- 565-8860 (USA) or 877-330-6366 (Canada) and The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.
The video in the media player above was used in a previous report.
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