Study finds that causes of apparent crisis vary by generation

There is wide agreement across generations in the UK, from Gen Z to baby boomers, that the mental health of young people is worse than in the past, but what does this actually mean? , said one reporter, and that opinions often differ as to what causes it. New research.

A study by King’s College London’s Institute for Policy Studies and Australia’s Origen Institute found that:

• Baby boomers are more likely than younger generations to attribute the potential increase in mental health problems among young people to increased drug and alcohol use, which they attribute to increased costs of living and a worsening economic outlook. Unlikely.
• Almost half of Millennials, Gen That was higher than 4 in 10 Gen Zers. Please feel this way.
• Baby boomers and Gen

The survey of 2,516 adults aged 18 and over in the UK also looked at perceptions of the influence of social media, which is thought to be a potential cause of mental health problems in young people, and also looked at perceptions of young people’s health. Generational differences in influence are evident.

The report compares the UK’s attitudes to Australia’s on all of these issues, and while there are some differences, the two countries’ views are broadly consistent.

The public feels that the mental health and other aspects of life of today’s young people are deteriorating.

The majority of British people say their mental health (70%), anxiety levels (67%) and prospects for the future (53%) are better than they were when they were younger or when their parents were the same age. I feel that many aspects of today’s young people’s lives are getting worse. %) and ability to find full-time work (56%).

In some cases, it is much more likely that young people themselves feel that it is harder for them. For example, 78% of people under the age of 29 say that today’s young people’s ability to buy things has worsened compared to their parents’ generation, and 62% of people over 30 say that , believe it’s worse than it was in their time. was young. In Australia, there is not much of an age gap on this issue.

However, across generations in the UK (baby boomers (65%), Gen The above answer is yes. It’s even worse for today’s youth.

Around half believe that the increase in mental health problems among young people is due to better identification, while the other half attribute it to more difficult circumstances and less resilience among young people. I am…

When asked to estimate trends in mental health, almost half (45%) of Americans believe that the proportion of 17- to 19-year-olds with suspected mental health disorders will increase from 10% to 10% between 2017 and 2022. I believe it has increased to 26%. This is the most common answer. In line with official NHS data. A further third (34%) believe that this figure has increased to a lesser extent, from 10% to 18%.

However, public opinion is relatively divided on what is causing this change.

• 47% believe mental health problems were equally common among young people in the past. 40% believe that the proportion of young people with mental health problems has actually increased today, even though they simply weren’t recognized as mental health problems back then.

Among those who believe there has actually been an increase are:

• 57% (23% of the population) said it was because the conditions young people face are more difficult than before, while fewer said it was because young people are less resilient compared to young people. It was 36% (15% of the total). It happened in the past.

…There are significant generational differences in thinking.

• Thirty-eight percent of Gen Z say mental health problems have been as common among young people in the past, compared to about half (49%) of older generations.
• Gen X (18%) and baby boomers (17%) are twice as likely as Gen Z (9%) to say that today’s youth are less resilient.
• Baby boomers (19%) and Gen less likely.

Social media is seen as a major factor contributing to poor mental health among young people…

Increased use of social media is the only potential cause of the rise in mental health problems among young people, chosen by the majority of British people, with two-thirds (65%) believing this to be the main factor, and is higher than the proportion of Australians (58%). People who think the same way.

In the UK, while the economy and employment are deteriorating, other factors are seen as next most important, including the impact of coronavirus (40%), the emergence of new technology (38%) and rising costs of living (38%). Prospects (29%) rank even lower.

…However, Gen Z is the least likely to hold this view, while baby boomers are most likely to blame alcohol and drugs over the cost of living and a worsening economic outlook.

There are important generational differences in views about the most important reasons behind the apparent increase in mental health problems among young people.

• 51% of Gen Z say increased social media usage is to blame, a much lower percentage than the more than two-thirds of older generations who think this way. And 27% of Gen Zers blame the advent of new technology, compared to about 4 in 10 of other generations.
• Baby boomers (50%) are more than twice as likely as Gen We believe this is due to the increased use of.
• Baby boomers (25%) are half as likely as Gen Z (49%) and Millennials (50%) to say rising costs of living are to blame. Additionally, a quarter of baby boomers (24%) and Gen ), it rises to one-third.

Although social media and smartphones are primarily thought to have a negative impact on young people’s overall health, young people themselves tend to have a more positive view.

Almost 7 in 10 people believe that social media and smartphone use has worsened today’s youth’s sleep (71%), anxiety and depression (71%), bullying (76%), and body image (78%). More than half said the same about loneliness (57%) and real-world relationships (55%).

However, about half feel that social media and smartphones are a better way to access health information from experts.
Information they know to be reliable (48%) and self-expression (46%), while a third believe it improves emotional support (32%) and community building (32%).

And younger generations are significantly more likely than older generations to believe that certain health-related factors have a more positive impact on young people today, due to social media and smartphone use.

• 60% of Gen Z and 57% of Millennials feel they are good at expressing themselves, compared to 43% of Gen Z and 31% of Baby Boomers.
• Baby boomers (21%) are about half as likely as Gen Z (46%) and Millennials (40%) to cite community building as a benefit.
• 42% of Gen Xers say their emotional support has improved, compared to 30% of Gen

But overall, the British public is almost seven times more likely to say social media and smartphones have a negative (67%) than positive (10%) impact on young people’s mental health. It has become.

However, once again, young people themselves have a more favorable view, with half (51%) of Gen Z feeling like they have a negative influence, compared to others who share the same opinion. That’s far less than seven out of 10 people in that generation.

The public prefers policies that directly address youth mental health issues over policies that focus on long-term structural factors.

Increasing mental health services (34%) is considered the most important thing the government should do to support young people’s mental health, followed closely by a zero-tolerance policy for bullying in schools (31%). It goes on to hold social media companies legally responsible for the impact of bullying. Children’s mental health (29%).

However, far fewer people are prioritizing policies that focus on the underlying structural causes of mental health, such as sexism, racism and discrimination (13%) and youth employment (13%).

Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Institute for Policy Research at King’s College London, said: ‘When we talk about the attitudes of different generations, we see a lot of clichés and stereotypes, often pitting one generation against another. However, this new research shows that attitudes towards most issues are consistent and accept that young people face serious challenges when it comes to their mental health.”

“However, there are some differences in perceptions about what is causing this. For example, older generations are more likely to blame social media. Young people themselves also believe that these platforms are a potential cause. We believe that there is, but there are broader factors, particularly economic ones, such as the cost of living and difficulties in securing work and housing.

“One aspect of older generations’ more conventional views is that they are far more likely to blame the rise in drug and alcohol use among young people for the deterioration of mental health. We know that alcohol consumption has declined significantly across generations, but while drug use fluctuates over time, it does not tend to increase significantly over time. This reflects a general tendency among young people to generalize from high-profile but relatively rare instances of risky behavior to forgetting the risks they themselves actually took. We were young. It is.”

“Whenever there’s a big change in the challenges facing society, it’s tempting to look for one thing to blame, like social media, but it’s often more complex than that. What actions should we take?” We should listen to the voices of young people themselves when deciding what to take. ”

Vivian Brown, Director of Policy and Engagement at Origen, said: ‘We often hear about different generations being pitted against each other, but this research shows that there are differences in perceptions about what is causing the crisis. “There may be, but the evidence shows that mental health problems in young people are clear.” “Health is a major concern across all age groups and action is needed. These results give politicians and other policy makers the opportunity to address the growing number of mental health problems among young people, and to address the growing number of mental health problems among young people. It should give you reassurance that you will have support.”

“We know that young people’s mental health is not just a young person’s problem, but affects their families, carers and the communities around them, and has a significant impact on our health system, economy and society. At Origen we know that supporting young people is important.” Improving their mental health is essential not only for this generation but for generations to come. ”