Mental Health of youngsters deteriorating rapidly, worsened further post pandemic
The number of individuals in 18–24-year bracket having bad mental health doubled between 2019 and 2021.
A Mental Health Million project conducted by Sapien Labs showed worrisome results as far as the mental health of younger generation is concerned. The report used a Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) questionnaire and surveyed over 220,000 people in 34 countries.
Earlier in the past similar studies conducted showed a typical pattern of the mental health being impacted as an individual grew older which improved only after he or she neared their retirement age. However, in the present report, alarming findings were obtained which showed a decline in mental well-being in the 18-24 age bracket.
An average score between -100 and +200 was allotted to the participants and the scores were divided into categories on a spectrum from “distressed” to “thriving.” The parameters were also organized into five areas based on what aspect of well-being they portray such as mood and outlook, drive and motivation, social self, mind-body connection, and cognition with separate scoring for each.
Tara Thiagarajan, the founder and chief scientist at Sapien Labs said it is not an isolated issue of one country but a global one. The trend in youngsters was already developing prior to covid but it further worsened during and post pandemic as the cumulative percentage of people scoring in the “struggling” or “distressed” range doubled between 2019 and 2021, to 30 percent.
The researchers have also listed possible causes such as income inequality, political instability, civil unrest other than the measures employed to impose lockdowns in various parts of the world. The only universal factor common to all was rising smartphone use and internet access.
The time spent by the younger generation on the internet is too much. Thiagarajan in conversation with an internet portal said, “The youngest generation has arrived at age 18-24 and college with one-tenth of the expertise in solving social issues, living together, coexisting in productive ways without conflict. And I think a lot of the unrest and conflict may be quite related to that, because at age 18, now you have the same experience of interacting with people as a 7 or 8-year-old had in the past.”
