Over 60 percent of Gen Z have an anxiety disorder
Over 60 percent of Gen Z have an anxiety disorder
Story at a glance Data management firm Harmony Healthcare IT recently released a report on the state of Gen Zers mental health. As part of the report, the firm conducted a survey on Gen Zers…
This article is terrible. First off, where do they get 60% from?
They link to the wrong research. The research they link to is a survey of people who already have anxiety. If you look at the research of the actual survey of the whole sample, not just those with anxiety, (here), it says that 42% have a diagnosed mental health condition, which includes an anxiety disorder amongst other disorders like depression, ADHD, and so on.
90% of the diagnosed conditions (90% of 42%) is anxiety, which would mean the actual number for only anxiety would be 37.8%.
78% of those 42% (32.76%) have depression as well. So a lot of those people with anxiety also have depression.
So the actual title should be 38% of Gen Z have an anxiety disorder. Which is only a bit higher than the total population.
According to large population-based surveys, up to 33.7% of the population are affected by an anxiety disorder during their lifetime. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4610617/
To be fair, we have a much better understanding of mental disorders now. Back when I was little, people basically fell under four categories (and these terms aren't my choosing, just what it was back in the early 80's): gifted, normal, slow or retarded. That was the extent of our understanding. At least based on my personal experience in an american public school system. I'm sure for older generations things were even more misunderstood.
They were born into an absolute shit show, maybe don't blame them too much.
I'm actually surprised that 40% are do not have an anxiety amongst those growing up in an environment of constant marketing pressure and social pressure to compare themselves against carefully selected images of other (i.e. real me vs facebook others) all the while slowly realising they're not going to have access to the same opportunities as they're parents, will inherit a World shafted in many many different ways and in some countries are pretty much starting their adult lifes in debt slavery.
Maybe those 40% are a mix of those who can't afford to seek health and those too mentally simple to realize any of this (if you're so dumb that you "see" very little beyond your little bubble and everything that happens to you is a surprise, you're not going to be anxious about the future).
I do have to wonder how these figures compare to older generations and to what extent underreporting due to stigmas around mental health could be corrected for between generations.
(I hope this already comes across, but I absolutely don't mean to diminish the severity of the mental health problems faced by Gen Z or anyone else.)
I know an excellent therapist. In her professional opinion, she feels that other therapists and psychiatrists rush to diagnose any patient who comes to them with any type of normal worry or anxiousness about a situation that any normal person would also be worried about. It sort of like physicians who over prescribe antibiotics just because the patient insists. Just slap a label on the person and have them keep coming back for the fee. So, I do not believe the numbers are real. I feel like 60% may be diagnosed, but the number for people with the actual condition is likely much smaller.
They are wise beyond their years.
...and under 40% are in denial about having one.
Older gen z here, I definitely fall into that category. Many factors have contributed to it.
Good thing we semi-legalized cannabis
If the majority of an entire generation has an anxiety disorder, it came from one of only a few places. If Millennials don't have similar anxiety rates, the most likely culprit of rampant Gen Z specific anxiety is going to be caused by the Gen X parenting style.
I blame the fact that Gen Z is still very much entangled in the education system, which at present basically purpose built to stoke existential dread about future life prospects.
"If you don't do good enough now you're going to miss out on college which means you'll miss out on jobs which means you'll miss out on being able to afford a not shit standard of living which means you'll miss out on good healthcare which means..."
And then the folks getting into the professional sphere right now being told absolutely none of that was relevant to what they're expected to learn to do well professionally.
No wonder young folks have an existential dread problem, they're constantly told that their future well being relies on them performing a song and dance number perfectly for an audience who couldn't care less about anything they actually have to learn for that song and dance.
