Unveiling the Complex Tapestry of the Youth Mental Health Crisis
Society recognizes a mental health crisis in young people, but understanding why is the focus of an ongoing study that conducted 40 interviews with members of Gen Z. It has identified mass shootings, school lockdown drills, parental pressure, social media, and the climate crisis as main risk factors, as presented at the 2023 Society for Risk Analysis Annual Conference (), Gabriel Rubin from Montclair State University.
Despite risk analysis research demonstrating that we live in one of the safest times ever, Gen Z experiences a disparity in risk assessment from their older counterparts, essentially having the perception that risk is everywhere they turn.
Unseen Factors of Mental Health Challenges
One of the major takeaways from the interviews is that members of Gen Z are fed with a constant stream of news alerts that will overemphasize their threat level.‘Beyond the common awareness of a mental health crisis in young people, ongoing research is uncovering specific risk factors, including mass shootings, school lockdown drills, parental pressure, social media, and the climate crisis. #mentalhealthcrisis, #youngpeople, #massshooting, #socialmedia, #climatecrisis ’
Gen Z is presented with a world where risk is black and white: things are safe (safe spaces, e.g.) or contain dangerous risks. Prior research has demonstrated that risk is not black and white - there are many risks in life and they can be weighed, yet Gen Z members view risk as either the presence or absence of safety in a situation.
This research has so far revealed that the disparity in risk assessment has led many young people to feel anxious, depressed, and even suicidal - especially young girls and women.
Messaging to Gen Zers needs to emphasize that there is a lot of gray area in risk and life. Alleviating this crisis is one of the most challenging issues in America today. This research suggests that young people's inability to understand risk is a critical component of this crisis.
Reference:
- Annual Meeting 2023 - Society for Risk Analysis Annual Conference - (https:www.sra.org/events-webinars/annual-meeting/)
Source: Eurekalert