In “Science Now,” the Los Angeles Times (3/14, Healy) reports research reveals “that U.S. teens and young adults in 2017 were more distressed, more likely to suffer from major depression, and more prone to suicide than their counterparts in the millennial generation were at the same age.” In addition, investigators “found that between 2008 and 2017, Gen Z’s emotional distress and its propensity toward self-harm grew more than for any other generation of Americans during the same period.” What’s more, “by 2017, just over 13% of Americans between the ages of 12 and 25 had symptoms consistent with an episode of major depression in the previous year – a 62% increase in eight years.”
The Washington Post (3/14, Bahrampour) reports the study, which “used data from the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health and also relied on suicide statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found the greatest upticks in young people who were wealthier and female.” The study authors attributed the increases in mental health disorders “to increased time spent on social media and electronic communication, along with a decrease in the hours of sleep young people are getting.” Not getting enough “sleep is associated with depression and anxiety.” The findings were published online March 14 in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology.
Related Links:
— “Mental health problems are on rise among American teens and young adults, study finds, “Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times, March 14, 2019