The younger generation has powered through a lot of upheaval in their short lives but it's taken a toll on their mental health. A new survey finds that an astounding 42 percent of those born between 1990 and 2010 – Gen Z – have been diagnosed with a mental health condition.
Generation Z (Gen Z) is currently between 10 and 25 years old, born between 1997 and 2012, and research suggests that they are the most anxious generation to date.
And an American Psychological Association report found that Gen-Z is more likely to report mental health concerns than any other demographic group. This is no surprise, as Gen-Z has been at the forefront of some of the world's most traumatic events and experiences, from the global pandemic to mass school shootings.
Gen Z has been called the 'most depressed generation' with the least positive outlook and diminished emotional and social well-being. They have more unmet social needs than any other generation. The statistics for their behavioural-health issues – mental and substance disorders – are alarming.
We take a life-course approach to mental health because good mental health begins in infancy. 20% of adolescents may experience a mental health problem in any given year. 50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75% by age 24.
The most common mental illnesses in Australia are Anxiety Disorders, Affective Disorders (such as Depression) and Substance use disorders (ABS 2022a).
In most people with schizophrenia, symptoms generally start in the mid- to late 20s, though it can start later, up to the mid-30s. Schizophrenia is considered early onset when it starts before the age of 18. Onset of schizophrenia in children younger than age 13 is extremely rare.
New research from talent management company Cangrade has looked at workplace happiness generation by generation. And a survey of 600 individuals found that Gen Z is the most unhappy generation at work. Just 59% of Gen Z workers are happy, compared to 69% for Baby Boomers and 76% for Millennials and Gen X.
Members of Generation Z report higher rates of depression and a number of other mental health conditions than do generations before them. At the same time, they are more likely than previous generations to report these problems, positioning those who seek help in a place to receive it.
e' Gen Z Workers, are actually the Happiest and Hardest Working Generation, say Researchers.
Other mental health conditions the generation faces are ADHD (27%), PTSD (20%), and OCD (17%).
With multiple devices, this generation became used to multitasking and jumping between activities at a high rate. In addition, Gen Z grew up having any information they needed right at their fingertips. This accessibility eventually led to Gen Z individuals developing shorter attention spans.
The idea of social isolation makes them even more anxious and uneasy, and makes them want to be socially involved all the time. Social anxiety can also be attributed to the changing nuclear family setup in modern India, where gen z are subject to helicopter parenting (J. L. Young, 2017).
Gen Zers are known for working, shopping, dating, and making friends online; in Asia, Gen Zers spend six or more hours per day on their phones. Digital natives often turn to the internet when looking for any kind of information, including news and reviews prior to making a purchase.
Mental illnesses such as depression are more stigmatized in older generation (Generation X) for whom the subject is a complete taboo attached with various misconceptions.
Data shows Gen Z workers report more struggles than the general population with hostile work environments, mental- and physical-health issues and even the inability to share one's full self in the workplace.
As a demographic cohort, Generation Z is smaller than the Baby Boomers and their children, the Millennials.
Generation Z
They are colloquially known as "zoomers", which surprisingly was not coined after Zoom, the video chat service, but instead is a play on the term 'boomers' and refers to the fast-paced nature of Gen Z's upbringing, amidst the explosion of technology and culture.
Gen Z's behaviours: Find them on TikTok
As digital natives, Gen Zers love TikTok. Among other social media platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, TikTok stands out.
GEN Z: REDEFINING HYPER-SENSITIVITY
Being sensitive simply means as a generation, Gen Z are more tuned into human emotions and more determined to take everyone's feelings into consideration.
They tend to play it safe. That's very like the Silent gen. In fact, Time magazine gave Silents their name because they played it safe, keeping their heads down and not speaking out about issues like McCarthyism and civil rights. Silents were shaped by the Great Depression when millions of Americans lost their jobs.
The onset of first episode psychosis typically presents when an individual is between the ages of 18-25, however, may present between the ages of 15-40. It is uncommon for first episode psychosis to present in childhood.
Schizophrenia and autism also seem to share multiple features at the brain morphological level. For example, structural and functional abnormalities in the cerebellum, insular cortex, and fusiform gyrus are present in both disorders (15–18).
Schizophrenia is a complex brain disorder, which affects about one in a 100 or between 150,000 and 200,000 Australians. The illness is characterised by disruptions to thinking and emotions, and a distorted perception of reality.