In today’s Houston Chronicle there was an article on the increase of mental health problems in young adults. There is an increase in suicidal behavior. I have also seen this in my practice. It seems as if this age group is less prepared for adulthood than ever before. This information is based on a study that was published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. There were 8 million participants in this survey of health and use of substances.

Research Findings

There has been an increase in suicides among 18-25 year olds. It is alarming as there was a 56% increase between the years of 2008-2017.

The rates of depression increased 62% over the same time period.

Thoughts of suicide increased 68%.

Suicide attempts increased 87% in those between the ages of 20-21.

Attempts increased 108% in those between the ages of 22-23.

Why are teens/young adults suffering?

Supposedly those in the 14-27-year old age range are referred to as Generation Z or the “iGen” because of their attachment to wireless devices. I was born way before the Internet came out and are far removed from that generation. I know how attached I feel to my phone, so I can’t even imagine how much more this generation relies on social media than I do.

Teens and young adults are more likely to suffer from depression and be suicidal more than when the Millennials were their age.

Factors in depression

Of course this is grim news that leads us to consider why this is happening. No one knows for sure, but we can look at some factors that may play into it. One is that this generation spends a lot of time on social media and doesn’t get enough sleep (as they are spending so much time on social media) according to the author of the research.

I have noticed that there are teens/young adults who get most of their social time online. Being isolated from people can lead to loneliness. Most people will say I have a lot of friends-they are all on line and we talk. This is different from having personal contact.

Social media

In addition, social media is the perfect way to see what you have been left out of. Perhaps some of your friends are doing something without you. Prior to social media, you wouldn’t know about it unless someone told you. Or perhaps you did something really embarrassing and someone made a video of it and put it on social media. So now it makes your shame difficult to let go of or contain. It makes it hard to move on after a break up as you can constantly see what your ex is doing or who he or she is dating. Then you can make the assumption that they aren’t hurting like you or don’t miss you-which of course we can’t prove or disprove.

Again, these are assumptions. We cannot prove this as we don’t have a comparison group of the same age who don’t have access to social media. Only then could we show it to be a cause.

One limitation of the study is that today’s youth is more likely to talk about mental health issues or suicidal behaviors and admit to them on a survey because of the efforts to de-stigmatize mental health.

How to help

If someone you love is depressed the best thing you can do is to be supportive. Don’t call them lazy if they have difficulty getting out of bed, or doing simple tasks. Try to give them hope that things will improve, it may take time. As long as they know you are there for them, it can help. Lend them an ear and be there to listen to their struggles. Research also shows that a combination of therapy and medication can be very effective.

If you or someone you love struggles with depression or is suicidal, give me a call at 713-304-6554.

Take care,

Debbie