Image Courtesy Of Brad O Reilly On Unsplash
Members of Gen Z – people born between 1997 and 2012 – are experiencing increased levels of anxiety and stress. In 2025, Gen Z comprises about 27% of the labor force, a demographic that brings fresh challenges and perspectives to workplaces. Despite their increasing presence, Generation Zers face unique challenges as they navigate their lives and careers.
Global conflicts and increasing political polarization have created a lot of instability and anxiety. Economic hitches, rising costs, and high inflation have created an atmosphere of unease. Burdened with student loans, Generation Z graduates often find themselves struggling with financial stability.
A 2022 study of young adults aged 19-24 discovered that nearly 40% of them have a mental health issue.Approximately 25% of these were diagnosed during the global pandemic. Although COVID-19 worsened mental health for people of all ages, it hit most Gen Zers. The common diagnoses were attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety.
According to APA, more than 25% of Gen Zers feel their mental health condition is poor or fair, as opposed to 13% of Gen X and 15% of millennials. Furthermore, more than 90% of this young generation say they have various symptoms of stress, including:
Lack of motivation
Feeling anxious, sad, and depressed
Lack of interest in hobbies
Persistent feelings of hopelessness
Suicidal thoughts
One of the causes of declining mental health for Gen Zers is healthcare access. They believe health care should be easily accessible and affordable. Reproductive health care is also a top priority for young adults. However, about 17% of people aged between 18-28 have no health insurance. At this vulnerable phase, it’s a concern that young adults and adolescents have low levels of healthcare access.
Besides, Gen Zs are less likely to get primary care providers. This is another challenge since they have sensitive and unique health needs, such as mental health and reproductive issues.
Achievement pressure and financial stress are significant contributors to declining mental health among young adults. A majority of Gen Zs say financial instabilities negatively affect their mental status. In a similar vein, a Gallup survey indicates that more than 65% of this young generation find comfort in money. However, they’re not earning enough, and their future seems unpromising.
A need for connection has made Gen Zs feel like they don’t matter to others. Most are grappling with loneliness and anxiety. The majority of them do not feel cared for and loved by others. This is troubling, especially for young adults going through a sensitive developmental stage. Supportive, stable relationships are essential for positive mental health. However, the disconnect with friends and families is creating a ripple effect on the mental health of Gen Zs.
Lack of life purpose and direction is hugely affecting the mental health of Gen Zs. Most of these young adults do not know what to do with their lives. Looking at different perspectives, such as feeling unloved and burdened with student loans, their sense of happiness is likely to be squashed. Besides, they think what they do daily isn’t motivating, interesting, or important.
A report indicates that the suicide rate for young adults has surged by more than 50%.In 2022, suicide ranked as the third leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 25. Young adults are facing increased stress and anxiety as a result of being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, racial background, and ethnic heritage.
Although Gen Z’s mental health was already on the wrong trajectory, the pandemic aggravated emotional challenges among the youth. The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted their lives, affecting their education, social interactions, family dynamics, work, and community involvement. It created social isolation, destabilized the economy, shifted online learning, and derailed employment.
Families broke, and young people lost loved ones or parents. Most of these challenges are still felt today. Throughout the pandemic, nearly half of families struggled to cover essential expenses. For many members of Gen Z, their careers, financial stability, and college aspirations were severely disrupted.Given all these glitches, it’s not surprising that mental health issues are on the rise.
Destigmatizing Gen Z Mental Health Decline
Hopefully, the public attention that mental health has gained in recent years will help Gen Zers navigate life with enthusiasm. Significant effort is required at both local and national levels.At a minimum, it will require several sectors to prioritize the matter and adequate funding to educational leaders, service providers, youth, families, and advocates.
Increasing mental health support and services, especially at schools, will go a long way. Focusing on youth empowerment and equity should be prioritized. Employers are also taking mental health more seriously, providing employees access to therapies.
By continuing to seek help and open up to dialogues, Gen Zers will inspire themselves to work towards changes. This will also motivate the younger generations to do the same.
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