According to a February 2022 Ogilvy study, 70% of Gen-Zers say their mental health needs the most attention or improvement. And an American Psychological Association report found that Gen-Z is more likely to report mental health concerns than any other demographic group.
A 2022 survey of Gen Z young adults (ages 19 through 24) found that 42% are diagnosed with a mental health condition. Of these people, 26% were diagnosed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which worsened mental health for many people of all ages.
The biggest mental health issue Gen Z deals with is anxiety. Nine out of ten Gen Z with diagnosed mental health conditions struggle with anxiety, and nearly eight out of ten (78%) are battling depression. Other mental health conditions the generation faces are ADHD (27%), PTSD (20%), and OCD (17%).
Gen Z is twice as likely to share personal health information for guidance on navigating the healthcare sphere. They struggle with mental health issues 1.9 times more than other generations — but 24 percent attend therapy online or in person, compared to 11 percent of people from other generations.
Gen Zers are known for working, shopping, dating, and making friends online; in Asia, Gen Zers spend six or more hours per day on their phones. Digital natives often turn to the internet when looking for any kind of information, including news and reviews prior to making a purchase.
In summary, a typical Gen Zer is a self-driver who deeply cares about others, strives for a diverse community, is highly collaborative and social, values flexibility, relevance, authenticity and non-hierarchical leadership, and, while dismayed about inherited issues like climate change, has a pragmatic attitude about ...
Generation Z, aged 10 to 25, comprises one of the largest groups of Passionates – those who report the most intense feelings about a range of global issues, second only to Millennials. In fact, Gen Zers demonstrate more passion for the issues they care about (31.6% vs. 18.9% for the other three generations combined).
And an American Psychological Association report found that Gen-Z is more likely to report mental health concerns than any other demographic group. This is no surprise, as Gen-Z has been at the forefront of some of the world's most traumatic events and experiences, from the global pandemic to mass school shootings.
According to Cigna International Health's 2023 survey of almost 12,000 workers around the world, 91% of 18-to-24-year-olds report being stressed – compared to 84% on average. Research indicates Gen Z are emerging as the most stressed demographic in the workplace, and struggling mightily to cope.
Never mind the fact that Baby boomers have been dubbed the Healthiest Generation, since they have the longest life expectancy of any previous generation, and that they were able to exploit advances in medical care and reap the benefits of public health campaigns highlighting the dangers of smoking and unhealthy diets.
#1 - Reflecting and Reevaluating. Many Gen Zs are worried about the future, according to a study by Cigna. In fact, 65% of employees say they have spent increased time evaluating their life priorities compared with two years ago—and this number is higher among Gen Z—at 71%.
Gen Z (42%) is about twice as likely as Americans over 25 (23%) to battle depression and feelings of hopelessness.
Gen Z kids are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts than their older counterparts. This is largely due to the excessive amounts of time they spend on social media, which can lead to feeling isolated, inadequate, and overwhelmed.
The survey found more Gen Zers reporting that they have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or depression. 18% of Gen Z reported an anxiety disorder diagnosis, and 23% reported they had been diagnosed with depression.
The idea of social isolation makes them even more anxious and uneasy, and makes them want to be socially involved all the time. Social anxiety can also be attributed to the changing nuclear family setup in modern India, where gen z are subject to helicopter parenting (J. L. Young, 2017).
Today, women are three times more likely than men to experience common mental health problems. In 1993, they were twice as likely. Rates of self-harm among young women have tripled since 1993. Women are more than three times as likely to experience eating disorders than men.
One in four Gen Z respondents reported feeling more emotionally distressed (25 percent), almost double the levels reported by millennial and Gen X respondents (13 percent each), and more than triple the levels reported by baby boomer respondents (8 percent). 3.
Social media use is high for Gen Zs, and rose during the socially-isolated periods, because it was the only way to stay connected. And studies are finding that increased use of social media can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, poor body image and loneliness.
Students fear a lack of finances and fulfilment
The greatest fears for Generation Z centre on not achieving their hopes and dreams for the future.
Indeed, Gen Z is the generation most motivated by building relationships—these young professionals highly value the connections they make at work.
Mental illnesses such as depression are more stigmatized in older generation (Generation X) for whom the subject is a complete taboo attached with various misconceptions.
Teenagers are more likely to experience depression than young children. Self-harm is a very common problem among young people. Some people who experience intense emotional pain may try to deal with it by hurting themselves. Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) can cause young people to become extremely worried.
Generation Z considers itself more accepting and open-minded than any generation before it. Almost half of Gen Zs are minorities, compared to 22% of Baby Boomers, and the majority of Gen Z supports social movements such as Black Lives Matter, transgender rights, and climate change.
Having a deep emotional connection has taken centre stage in their relationship dynamics. Gen Z is open to mixing friendships, romantic relationships, long-term commitments or "situationships" and creating the perfect balance to meet their emotional and physical needs.