A four-year study by The Lancet, involving 50 leading scientists and testimonies from young people worldwide who have experienced mental illnesses, highlights the key factors behind the alarming decline in mental health among people aged 12-25.
"Youth Mental Health in a Dangerous Phase"
"Mental illness, which has been the primary health and social issue affecting the lives and futures of young people for decades, has entered a dangerous phase." These are the opening words of a significant and troubling study published in The Lancet just before mid-August as part of the Psychiatric Commission.
Renowned scientists raising the alarm argue that this concerning trend serves as a warning that global mega-trends—intense, long-term social changes such as environmental, social, economic, political, or technological shifts—and the direction many societies worldwide have taken over the past two decades have harmed young people's mental health and increased mental illnesses in this already vulnerable population group internationally.
Even when these illnesses do not result in death, they are the leading and fastest-growing cause of disability and loss of human capital and productivity throughout life, the study notes.
And the alarm intensifies as the research on individuals aged 12-25 unfolds. The authors state that mental illnesses peak in their onset at age 15, with 63-75% of cases occurring by age 25, representing the epidemiological inverse of physical illnesses, which predominantly appear later in life.
If not effectively treated—research also points out the significant challenges faced by healthcare systems globally, as well as the reluctance of governments to allocate resources—mental illnesses become a major cause of premature death from physical diseases and suicides. Even when these diseases do not cause death, they are the largest and fastest-growing cause of disability and loss of human capital and productivity throughout life. In 2011, the World Economic Forum reported that among non-communicable diseases, mental illness was the largest source of global gross domestic product loss.
How did we get here?
So, who is to blame, and why is the future—or even the present—of the younger generation in the red, threatening their very lives? In general, as emerges from the Lancet study, the culmination of four years of work by more than 50 leading psychiatrists, psychologists, academics, and young people who have experienced mental illnesses worldwide, the main culprits for the increase in mental health problems among young people are intergenerational inequality, the fragmentation of society, uncontrolled use of social media, declining wages and purchasing power globally, the specter of unemployment and layoffs, and the climate crisis.
"We are witnessing a major fragmentation of society, truly driven by the economic theory that we operate under neoliberalism, where everything is a commodity. This global emphasis on individualism and competition destroys social bonds, erodes public welfare and services, and empowers harmful industries and corporations. While it may superficially appear that previous generations had it tougher, given the Great Depression, world wars, and nuclear threats, the reality is that there is much less security and hope for the future around the current generation than ever before. The challenges facing today's young generation are unprecedented, devastating, and worse than ever," says Professor Patrick McGorry, head of the study and Executive Director of Orygen, the Australian National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, speaking to The Guardian.
The challenges facing today's young generation are unprecedented, devastating, and worse than ever.
He added even more emphatically: "This is the most serious public health issue we have. If the rapid deterioration of health were occurring in any other health domain, such as diabetes or cancer, governments would have taken dramatic actions."
In the same context, the report mentions that while mental illness accounts for at least 45% of the total disease burden among individuals aged 10 to 24, only 2% of global health budgets are allocated to mental care. Even in the most prosperous countries, less than half of the needs to address the issue are met.
"There is often an ambivalence shown by society toward young people and their needs," according to the study's lead author.
"It's Expensive to Be Human These Days"
"I think the reason this crisis is worsening has to do with the world we are set to inherit," said 23-year-old Finley Hewlett, a member of Orygen's Youth Advisory Council, to Australia's ABC News. "We are terrified by the climate, the loneliness we experience, the cost of living, conflicts around the world. It's expensive to be human these days, where your mental health is often sidelined when you're just trying to survive."
Indeed, as the study notes, mental illness is a major threat to the lives and futures of young people, and the worrying data indicate that its prevalence and impact are steadily increasing in many environments. Nearly three decades ago, with the decline of major physical diseases that had affected young people throughout history until the second half of the 20th century, scientists emphasized that mental illness or "psychosocial disorders" had become by far the leading cause of disease burden in many parts of the world. They even note that young people are physically healthier than at any other historical period, largely due to the decline of infectious diseases, but their mental health is at worse levels than ever.
Giving Voice to the Young
Twenty-three-year-old Lee, who also advises Orygen on youth strategies, told The Guardian that she was first exposed to online pornography at the age of 12. This, according to her, had a persistent and devastating impact on her self-esteem and body image.
"I was exposed to really uncontrolled, very bad things on the internet that my parents' generation doesn't really understand." (Lee, 23 years old)
"There is so much adult content online that exposure to it is often completely unavoidable. I felt like the internet was a place to escape or connect with other people worldwide who had similar experiences to mine. Instead, I was exposed to really uncontrolled, very bad things that my parents' generation doesn't really understand."
On the other hand, 22-year-old Chloe Johnson has felt despair recently, as reported by The New York Times. She struggles to meet the demands of university while working full-time as a receptionist, demonstrating that while social media is harmful, the survival conditions in the real world are even worse.
A Concerning Scientific Counterpoint
The even more concerning counterpoint to this study, however, comes from an accompanying analysis by King's College London. It notes that much of the data supporting the committee's report comes from high-income countries, which is problematic because 90% of children and adolescents live in low- and middle-income countries that "experience the highest burden of mental illness."
Moreover, according to the World Health Organization, in low- and middle-income countries, the level of unmet needs for mental health services can reach nearly 100%.
