A report published Monday detailed how people in their 20s are more likely to be out of work due to mental health issues, and some are “economically inactive.”
One in 20 young people (age 18-24) in Britain were “economically inactive” due to poor health in 2023, with one-in-three reporting symptoms of a common mental health disorder (CMD), according to a report published by the Resolution Foundation. These normalized trends in mental illness have led to one-in-five young people with mental health issues being out of work between 2018 and 2022, leading to a significant loss of intellectual capital within the British Isles.
Universities were found to be “hotbeds for mental health problems,” the report found, adding that the rate of CMD amongst students has increased 37% over the course of the study.
Our latest report finds that between 2021-22, over one-in-three 18-24 year olds reported symptoms of a common mental disorder.
This isn’t just a health crisis: their work and career outcomes are at risk too.
Read more: https://t.co/7tb2JTeQl7 pic.twitter.com/HHtq1cRuKZ
— Resolution Foundation (@resfoundation) February 27, 2024
Just two decades ago, 18-24-year-olds had the lowest rates of CMD in Britain, according to the report. The rise in disorders is not caused by a single culprit, but it probably doesn’t help that this age demographic (Gen Z) is the first generation to grow up with normalized access to the Internet and the horrors that exist on cable television. (RELATED: ‘Is My Brain Okay’ SNL Skit Rips The Real Life Impact Of COVID Lockdowns… And It’s Terrifyingly Accurate)
Unlike our parents, who maybe had a few scares during the Cold War, Gen Z and Millennials grew up with: 9/11, the 7/7 bombings, the 2008 global financial crisis, normalized use of social media, socio-political division as a personal identifier in a post-2016 election world, fentanyl, Big Pharma seemingly pushing us to be mental so they can sell us drugs, the pandemic and a whole host of other super fun mega-moments in history (not).
The report’s authors urged all higher academic institutions to create better systems of support for young people. Part of this problem involves stopping students from turning to their social media friends for validation of their issues before we keep creating a “lost generation” due to poor mental health, according to the BBC.