In a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 63% of young people aged 18 to 24 reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, with 25% reporting an increase in substance use to combat this. stress and 25% said I had seriously considered suicide.
“The impact of the pandemic on mental health is much greater in younger adults,” said Dr. Shaker Saxena of Harvard School of Public Health and a professor of practice at global mental health courts. “U.S. figures suggest that nearly two-thirds of young adults have some symptoms of anxiety or depression or other psychological problems.”
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 50% of all mental illnesses in life develop at age 14 and 75% at age 24.
Even when the COVID-19 crisis ends, Saxena explained that 10% of these adults will have lasting effects due to mental health issues they are currently treating.
“About a third could have a problem serious enough for their lives to be affected in terms of their job performance and education,” Saxena said. “This could place a much greater burden in terms of health and disability.”
Saxena added: “A lot of people are losing their jobs. There are people who earn much less income than before. There is uncertainty about where and what it will bring tomorrow, which is much more facing younger adults than middle-aged or older adults. this is the time for change in their lives. “
The Healthy Minds Network conducted a survey and found that 80% of college students reported that COVID-19 had negatively affected their mental health.
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Experts fear that many of those affected are not seeking the professional help they need and Dr. Sarah Lipson, adjunct professor in the Department of Health Policy and Rights Management at Boston University School of Public Health and co-principal investigator for Healthy Minds According to a network study, on ABC News experts are trying to quantify it.
“Students of color and low-income students are significantly less likely to seek care when they have mental health issues because of cost and availability,” Lipson said. “These are also the same students who are less likely to persist in higher education and graduate. There’s kind of this intersection of outcomes that worries us so much for young adults in that regard.”
Increased anxiety and depression
Saxena explained how the pandemic is a “perfect storm” to lead to uncertainty, stemming from anxiety and loss, which can lead to depression. Many young adults have lost strength, especially in terms of educational and professional opportunities.
“For people between the ages of 21 and 25, this is a time of expansion into their lives, with new connections and new things,” Lipson said. “All of this is stopping. I think it’s a difficult time for some parts of life to stand still when there’s usually just a hectic time of development when so much social and professional things happen.”
“The job market that young people are entering,” he added, “is very unpredictable, which I think generates a lot of tension.”
Loneliness and social isolation
Mental Health America found that between April and September last year, 70% of people reported that loneliness or isolation was the main contributing factor to mental health problems. Isolation is the real separation from others and loneliness is the feeling that accompanies it.
“You can be alone, despite being with others. Both loneliness and self-isolation lead to significant health impacts, and communication about the need to distance yourself from the pandemic has been very unfortunate,” he said. dir Saxena.
He said social distancing should really be called physical distancing, separate from social connection.
“People are required to do so because there are established rules,” he added. “Still, the attempt should be as connected as possible.”
Jordan Corcoran, an advocate and founder of Listen Lucy, a mental health organization, was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder at age 19 and, at age 33, described the pandemic as very difficult.
“I feel like I’m working every minute of the day to keep my anxiety at bay,” Corcoran said. “Isolation is an important part of treating mental illness.”
Even after getting help and choosing to defend other people struggling with mental health disorders, Corcoran still faces his own battles every day.
“The world keeps putting all these obstacles in my way. I don’t know how long I can do that,” Corcoran explained. “I check my mental health every day. It’s part of my survival as part of my journey.”
What can be done?
Saxena said work stress (overworked workers, who may or may not be related to layoffs or corporate restructurings) is a major contributor and employers can step in to help them.
“They need to be aware that people go through stress and that they can suffer from mental disorders,” he said. “All of this should be covered as part of the benefits package as much as any physical problem. If you are an employer and your employee needs help in terms of counseling and psychiatric help, they should be encouraged, supported and funded by doing this. “This is a good practice that is now more necessary than ever.”
Lipson also said he believes college campuses need to offer more mental health resources and require training for faculty members so they can better understand potential mental health issues among students.
“I think schools need to think about expanding a mental health system on campus to include a wide range of resources and invest in them, rather than investing more and more staff in a counseling center,” he said. said Lipson. “It’s an imbalance that will continue to exist and amplify in terms of the number of students who need services and the availability of counselors.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the crisis text line by texting HOME at 741741. at Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 (USA) or 877-330-6366 (Canada) and The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.
The video from the previous media player was used in a previous report.
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