Top of Mind: The latest on Gen Z + mental health.
Edited by Irene Pedruelo
On the heels of a year of loss and isolation — and in the midst of already alarming rates of mental health issues among young people in particular — this upcoming Mental Health Month feels especially important. As we look towards May and beyond, we recently asked over 1,000 Gen Z (13–24 years old) respondents how they were feeling and thinking about their mental health. Across Gen Z, and particularly for those who identify as women (61% of total sample) and non-binary (3% of sample), mental health is important and top of mind. It’s largely for this reason that we actually see more Gen Z responding that they’re doing OK than we initially might have expected.
The vast majority (85%) of Gen Z say that taking care of their mental health is important to them, with 1 in 3 saying it is extremely important.
Women are more likely to say that mental health is important to them (89%) than men (77%), likely because they report faring worse personally. When we asked them to rate their current state of mental health, just over half (53%) of women, and slightly more (58%) of non-binary individuals rate their mental health as good (5–7 on a scale of 7), while 71% of men say the same. On the flip side, nearly a quarter of women (23%) and non-binary (26%) say their mental health is bad (1–3 on a scale of 7), compared to only 8% of men.
What to make of this? While recent headlines covering the growing rates of reported depression and anxiety are serious and concerning, they can often lead to thinking that the vast majority of Gen Z is suffering, which we don’t see to be the case here. There are a few reasons for why this might be. We know that optimism is growing as vaccines continue to rollout across the country and restrictions begin to ease. There’s also been a noticeable rise in how we — among friends, peers, influencers, and society as a whole — are talking about mental health and its importance, and this is certainly true for Gen Z. When we asked, “How often do you think about how your mental health is doing, or take steps to improve your mental health?” nearly half (47%) said pretty often or all the time (49% of women and 43% of men). Meanwhile, only 15% say they think about it only once in a while and 2% say never (37% said sometimes). We’ve also seen that for some, the impacts of the pandemic and social distancing have actually resulted in some positives. They’ve been able to spend more time with family, learn new hobbies, embrace self care, have less FOMO, and feel better about themselves as a result.
While we didn’t clarify if the impact was positive or negative, when we asked: What do you believe is currently having an impact on you and/or your friends’ mental health? It’s no surprise that the ongoing pandemic comes out on top: 56% of Gen Z say COVID-19 is impacting their mental health (63% of women and non-binary vs. 44% of men). Then there’s school: 54% (64% of women and 37% of men) say that school in the present moment, including online learning, is impacting their mental health. While 46% (56% of women and 30% of men) point to school in the future, including thinking about college, as having an impact.
What we continue to see is that the problems we face in society — and the need to address them — are more top of mind for many young people today than more immediate personal issues.
42% say racial injustice, including the ongoing violence on Black and Asian communities in particular, is impacting their mental health. And nearly the same number (41%) cite other issues in society, including the climate crisis and gun violence, as having a mental health impact. These are the top answers above money and finances (39%), social media (30%), jobs (29%) or dating and romantic relationships (27%).
These findings tell a deeper story about the experience of Gen Z today. This past Wednesday, after presenting our latest research and insights at ANA’s Brand Activation Conference, we were asked the question: “Is it possible that brands getting involved in societal issues is causing more depression in young people? Can’t we let kids be kids?”
The answer: we’d love to let kids be kids. But the reality is, young people today are deeply aware of the issues we face, unfortunately because for way too many — they are experiencing them personally. They participate in active shooter drills in their classroom, they’ve witnessed the impacts of a changing climate, they have either personally or known someone close to them who has experienced racism, they are faced with crippling student loan debt, and the list goes on. These aren’t issues that brands are telling them about. These issues are weighing on them personally as a byproduct of living today. On the other hand — we know they want brands to take action, and that addressing these issues is something that is key to improving their mental health. When we asked, “What do you believe is necessary in order to improve mental health for young people?” 42% said fixing big issues in society, including racism, gun violence, and/or climate change. These are areas where brands could, and should, show up.
Of course, young people have other ideas for what needs to be done to improve their mental health. 46% say they’d like to see more people talking openly about mental health issues (51% of women, 41% of non-binary, and 36% of men). 44% want access to mental health support at school and/or the workplace. 40% want more investment (financially or other resources) from government, organizations, and/or companies in understanding and supporting young people’s mental health, while the same number point to a need for educational resources, like tips to manage anxiety or handle stress.
Notably, only 29% point to the need to limit social media and/or have healthy social media habits. For nearly a quarter (23%) of Gen Z, connecting with others like them on social media is something they say they’ve recently done to improve their own mental health, and 29% say the same of playing video games. While social media is frequently pointed to as the culprit of a growing mental health crisis, not all young people would agree. For many, it’s a source of community and connection.
The top answers to what Gen Z is doing to improve their mental health?
Listening to music is number one — 58% say they’ve done this to improve their mental health in the past 6 months (68% of women, 53% of non-binary, and 41% of men). Watching shows or movies comes next with 53%, and 46% point to both exercise and spending time with friends and/or family as an aid. More than a third (35%) say helping someone in need and/or taking action on issues they care about has helped them. Here we see the echo of an earlier theme — taking steps to address the core issues we face is a step in the right direction for better mental health. Gen Z is here for it.
Are you a brand or organization looking to mark Mental Health Month with support and action? Let’s talk!
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and needs help, text START to 741–741 or call 1–800–273 TALK (8255).
Methodology: DoSomething.org Survey of 1,085 13–24 year olds across the US; April 2–5, 2021. Data is unweighted.
