What is causing the current mental health crisis in young adults?
Over the past few years, there’s been abundant reporting on the declining state of mental health. A study mentioned in a story in Medscape showed that the steepest decline in mental health was in young adults.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the suicide rate for U.S. children ages 10 to 14 was three times as high in 2021 as it was in 2007. Add to that the host of recent studies worldwide showing that teenagers who frequently use social media have an increased risk of negative mental health outcomes.
However, much of this reporting has focused on the increased mental health issues among young people. What’s often overlooked is that parents are also struggling with these issues, even as they work to help their children. To fully grasp the depth of the mental health problem, you only have to look at the data.
The CDC* found that 1 in 14 young people have a parent struggling with mental health. The CDC* also found that 27% of parents of children aged 18 years or younger reported that their mental health had worsened during the pandemic.
Earlier this year, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center* published a survey of adults that found:
- 66% of respondents said the demands of parenthood sometimes or frequently feel isolating and lonely.
- 62% reported feeling burned out by their responsibilities as a parent.
- Nearly 38% feel no one supports them in parenting.
What are the root causes of the mental health decline?
Many experts see two primary causes behind this surge in mental health issues: COVID and a lack of access to care.
When COVID arrived, it shattered the sense of normalcy and security many people take for granted. Early on, the fear and dread of contracting COVID was deep and scarring. Daily, grim news footage made the epidemic particularly vivid and palpable.
Even after vaccines appeared, some elderly and at-risk individuals still became very sick, with some even dying, while others were afflicted with long COVID. So, the disease’s trauma has lingered even after the initial outbreak subsided.
The other significant contributor to the mental health crisis in teens and young people is the lack of access to effective care. Simply put, there are nowhere near enough mental healthcare providers to meet the demand.
Even when people can locate a mental health specialist, there are often months-long wait times for an appointment. For those lucky enough to find a provider and get an appointment, there can be significant cost issues. Some providers won’t even take insurance, which puts treatment out of reach for many.
What help is available?
Despite this void in care and treatment, some solutions have addressed this gap, and they’re having a positive, measurable impact.
In January, the nonprofit Parents Anonymous, Inc. expanded its services. The National Parent Helpline became the National Parent & Youth Helpline™, which gives Americans a toll-free number to call for immediate help with mental health issues.
Since that expansion, the Helpline has experienced a 51% increase in the number of people helped nationwide and a 72% surge in calls compared to 2023, with 69% of callers being adults over the age of 26 and 31% being youth.
For anyone located in US, if you are feeling isolated, burned out, or in need of support, the National Parent & Youth Helpline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 1-855-427-2736 or through live chatting at nationalparentyouthhelpline.org.
If you are outside the US, it’s also worth noting that ordinary people can also help remediate this crisis. If you’re aware of people in your life that may be struggling, ask them if they need to talk. Let them know you’re there to listen and are happy to help.
While these options help fill the serious mental healthcare gap in America, there’s much more work that needs to be done. As a society, it’s urgent that we focus many more resources on this problem, develop more solutions like the National Parent & Youth Helpline, and slow the troubling rise in mental health issues worldwide.
Author: Dr. Lisa Pion-Berlin, President & CEO of Parents Anonymous® Inc., one of the oldest family-strengthening organizations committed to creating resilient families and communities. Dr. Lisa passionately advocates for empowering Parents, Caregivers, and Children & Youth globally. She oversees the California Parent & Youth Helpline ® and National Parent & Youth Helpline™, providing emotional support via calls, chats, and texts.
She established National Parent Leadership Month® (February) and created the National Certification of Parent Leaders to celebrate and empower parents everywhere. As a researcher, Dr. Lisa evaluates Evidence-Based Services that build resilience, prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences, and promote positive outcomes.
Through her Shared Leadership® approach, she collaborates with Parent Leaders to develop innovative practice models and drive meaningful system reforms. Dr. Lisa advocates for anti-racist, anti-sexist, and anti-classist public policies that enhance wellbeing worldwide. She holds a PhD in Social Work, MSW, MPA, BS in Psychology, and is a Clinical Hypnotherapist.
