Gen Z has been called the 'most depressed generation' with the least positive outlook and diminished emotional and social well-being. They have more unmet social needs than any other generation.
Gen Z (42%) is about twice as likely as Americans over 25 (23%) to battle depression and feelings of hopelessness.
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.
Members of Generation Z report higher rates of depression and a number of other mental health conditions than do generations before them. At the same time, they are more likely than previous generations to report these problems, positioning those who seek help in a place to receive it.
Generation Z (Gen Z) is currently between 10 and 25 years old, born between 1997 and 2012, and research suggests that they are the most anxious generation to date.
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.
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.
It found that, while there are similar rates of happiness across the older three generations, Gen Z is by far the least happy at work. Twenty-six percent of Gen Zers were unhappy in their jobs, and 17% were actively thinking about quitting.
New studies suggest Generation Z is now the loneliest generation, and experts say we're in the middle of a loneliness epidemic. Our generation is statistically experiencing more feelings of isolation, getting married later and having less sex.
Gen Z also faces an unprecedented behavioral health crisis: US Gen Zers surveyed by McKinsey report the least positive outlook and the highest prevalence of mental illness of any generation, and European respondents report struggling with self-stigma.
Gen X is sometimes called the “Forgotten Generation.” They are the smallest generation by population, with about 65 million people.
So it's no surprise recent studies have declared millennials, especially women, the most anxious generation in history. Anxiety comes in many forms, but the simplest way to describe it is feeling worried or nervous about the future or uncertain situations.
GEN Z: REDEFINING HYPER-SENSITIVITY
Being sensitive simply means as a generation, Gen Z are more tuned into human emotions and more determined to take everyone's feelings into consideration.
Doing so may reveal why millennials are the happiest generation—like, ever. Their secret? Taking care of themselves. And that goes for mind, body, and spirit, experts say.
The Greatest Generation is a term used to describe those Americans who grew up during the Great Depression and fought in World War II, or whose labor helped win it. The term "the Greatest Generation" is thought to have been coined by former NBC Nightly News anchor and author Tom Brokaw in his book by the same name.
Kyle Peppers. A new report shows in 2022, nearly one in three Gen Zers are rating their mental health as “bad.” A nationwide study surveyed more than 1,000 people in the U.S. aged 18-24.
Although environmental factors have been shown to contribute to antisocial personality disorder, biological factors also significantly impact the disorder. Uniquely, the minds of Generation Z have become “hardwired differently due to exposure of digital devices early in life” (Crist, 2017).
Aligned with the job satisfaction insights, Gen Zs also proved to be the generation most likely to quit their job if they are unhappy with their workplace, the report found.
From record collecting and the resurgence of Kate Bush to '90s grunge and Y2K aesthetics, Gen Z is obsessed with nostalgia.
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).
Gen Z is also the smartest and best educated generation. Having an unlimited wealth of information at our disposal has not gone to waste. In America, 57 percent of Gen Z is reported to have enrolled in a two-year or four-year college, compared to 52 percent of Millenials and 43 percent of Gen X.
“Generationally, a larger majority of Gen Z adults do most of their work in person compared with their older counterparts, and this young cohort also shows the strongest overall preference for working in an office,” the study reads. Just shy of 90% of Gen Z workers who prefer the office cite productivity as the reason.
Other mental health conditions the generation faces are ADHD (27%), PTSD (20%), and OCD (17%).
In addition, 34% of Gen Z say they are worried about the future, and 24% are concerned about a lack of learning and jobs. This concern doesn't keep them from looking for the next opportunity however, with 48% of Gen Z and Millennials (those ages 18-35) planning to look for a new job in the next 12 months.
Gen Z can handle stress – in fact they're brave enough to say it's unacceptable. Steven Bartlett, the entrepreneur and superstar podcaster, ruffled a few younger feathers recently when he described Gen Z as “the least resilient generation I have ever seen”.