The link below is a deep dive into answering the question: Are young people reporting poorer mental health because it’s less stigmatizing, or are they really dealing with poorer mental health?
The answer seems to be a little of both, but it’s clear mental health has gotten worse.
Young people are telling us their mental health is suffering. A new study shows why we should believe them.
One of the difficulties in looking at reported levels of mental health struggles is the fact that younger people are growing up in a society where it’s safer to admit that you’re struggling. The article even compares two people, one who grew up in the 1960’s versus someone much younger, in the same circumstances, and whether they would report struggling. As someone born in the late 60s, I would agree that the bar for self-reporting was much higher than it is today. My struggles with depression only became known when it was obvious to everyone that something was seriously wrong with my mental health. Had you asked me before then, I probably would not have admitted it.
Today, young people are more likely to report it. This is a good thing, but it raises the question of whether the increases are real, as opposed to people being more likely to report struggling. This report makes it clear that even though that does explain some of the rising rates, it’s not the complete picture. The complete picture includes the fact that young people are struggling more.
So how do we make sure they can get the help they need?