Young People More Depressed and Anxious Than Ever Per Recent Study

As of this writing, Covid-19 has killed over 300,000 Americans. But beyond its direct cause of deaths, the coronavirus, namely, the social restrictions nationally implemented to combat its deadly spread, has had similar negative epidemic effects on our nation's mental health - especially that of its young adult citizens.

While Covid poses a much deadlier threat to older demographics' lives, the virtual opposite can be said about the novelty virus's indirect impact on young adult Americans' mental health. 

By The Numbers: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

In a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 63% of young adults (ages 18-24) reported feelings of anxiousness and depression due to the effects of quarantine and other social restrictions in place to curb the spread of coronavirus. Even more alarmingly, the CDC report included 25% of young adults reporting increased substance use - 25% of whom reportedly suffered from suicidal ideations. 

Experts Weigh-in

The leading authorities on the matter of mental health have been sharing their findings and their predictions of how the coronavirus will leave its impact on the US's youth. As one might expect, their expert take on the subject is mostly bleak. 

Dr. Shekhar Saxena of The Harvard School of Public Health and a professor for the practice of global mental health courts states, “The figures that we have from the U.S. suggest that almost two-thirds of the young adults have some symptoms of anxiety or depression or other psychological problems. The mental health impact of the pandemic is much larger on younger adults."

What’s more, the NAMI’s latest research says that nearly half of all mental illnesses develop by early to mid-teens - 75% by the age of 24. 

Long-Lasting Effects

While the pandemic may have caused this massive spike in our country’s young person’s mental health and substance abuse-related problems, said problems are likely to linger long after the virus is gone good. 

According to Sexana, 10% of those diagnosed as mentally ill during the pandemic will have long-lasting issues relating to their mental health state.

To read the entirety of the original article, click here

 "The mental health impact of the pandemic is much larger on younger adults," said Dr. Shekhar Saxena of The Harvard School of Public Health and a professor for the practice of global mental health courts. "The figures that we have from the U.S. suggest that almost two-thirds of the young adults have some symptoms of anxiety or depression or other psychological problems."

- per ABC News