Why mental health issues have increased significantly in young adults?

According to the research report published by the American Psychological Association, the percentage of young Americans experiencing certain types of psychiatric disorders and mental health-related illnesses has increased significantly over the past decade.

Mental health problems have increased in young adults

Why mental health issues have increased significantly in young adults?

Mental Health Issues Have Increased among Young Americans

The new research report published by the American Psychological Association suggests that the percentage of young Americans experiencing some types of psychological disorders and mental health illnesses has increased significantly in the past decade, in which there is no increase in older adults.

The shift may be due in part to rising of digital media. In the USA, many young adults and adolescents experienced serious psychiatric disorders, major depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and more attempted suicide in the late 2010s, versus the mid-2000s. 

Cultural trends may have had a larger effect on suicide-related outcomes and mood disorders such as bipolar disorder or mood swings among younger generations in the last 10 years compared with older generations.

These trends are non-existent or weak among adults 26 years and older, suggesting a generational shift in mental disorders instead of an overall increase across all ages.

The rate of people reporting symptoms with major depression in the last 12 months, increased 52% in adolescents between 2005 and 2017 and 63% in young adults aged 18 to 25 between 2009 to 2017.

In young adults, the serious psychological crisis had also increased by 71 percent in the last 30 days of 2008 to 2017.

The rate of young adults with suicidal thoughts or other suicidal consequences increased by 47 percent from 2008 to 2017. 

There was no significant increase in the percentage of older adults facing depression or psychological crisis during this time period.

Researchers also saw a slight decline in psychological crisis in more than 65 people.

It is given that the rise in mental health issues was the fastest since 2011; it is unlikely to be due to the genetic or economic crisis and is likely to be due to cultural changes, such as how adolescents and young adults spend their time outside of school or work.

These outcomes suggest the need for more research to understand how face-to-face social interactions versus digital communication affect mental health illnesses, mood disorders, and suicidal related consequences and to develop special interventions for younger groups. 

Young adults cannot change their genetics or the country economic condition but they can choose how they spend their spare time.

 First and foremost is enough sleep. Make sure the use of your device does not interfere with your sleep - do not have a phone or tablet in the bedroom at night, and put the equipment down within an hour of sleeping time.

Overall, make sure that the use of digital media does not interfere with activities such as face-to-face social interaction, sleep, and physical exercise.

Read the full article at ScienceDaily

Journal Reference:

Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2019; Age, period, and cohort trends in mood disorder indicators and suicide-related outcomes in a nationally representative dataset, 2005–2017.  By Jean M. Twenge, Thomas E. Joiner, Mary E. Duffy, A. Bell Cooper, Sarah G. Binau.  DOI: 10.1037/abn0000410

Story Source:

 ScienceDaily, 15 March 2019. "Mental health issues increased significantly in young adults over the last decade: Shift may be due in part to rise of digital media, study suggests". Link<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190315110908.htm>.