content warning: this article discusses suicide
It might surprise you to hear that Gen Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) are set to be the most depressed and anxious generation since the Great Depression. According to the latest APA Stress in America survey only 45% of 15-21 year old’s report their mental health as “very good”. Comparatively Millennials clock in at 56%, Gen X at 51% and Boomers at 70%. It can be pretty easy to fall into the age old trap of dismissing the struggles of a generation to some sort of perceived lacking on “Kids these days”. I think it is hard for those of us over 30 to admit that we do not have a full understanding of the stressors faced by gen Z. It is fair to say that each generation had its struggles. Yet I think teens and young adults are facing some serious obstacles as they try to make their way into the grown-up world.
I, an elder millennial, graduated from Highschool in 1999, the same year of the Columbine school shooting. I never once had to participate in an active school shooter drill or an A.L.I.C.E. drill. However, after the Sandy Hook shooting in December of 2012 schools increased their attempts to protect students. I started working as a therapist in Hanover and York Pennsylvania in 2013. I can tell you from my personal experience as a clinician who works with children and teens, these drills often increase a child’s daily anxiety, had a negative impact on their sense of value and worth, and in some cases were traumatic when they would be given by ill informed or poorly prepared staff. I have had to process trauma with children who truly thought that a school shooting was happening because staff had lost track of students who used the bathroom prior to the drill, or were en route to another class room or the office and an unannounced drill led them to believe they were being attacked. Children often do not have a strong sense of reality and the severe nature of these drills can be confusing. I have had elementary and middle school students tell me of how A.L.I.C.E. drills were taught and how they had to talk about hiding under bodies of and painting themselves with the blood of their classmates.
Regardless of ones political stance, it is important to understand that there can be an emotionally significant toll on children who have to contemplate experiencing a life threatening event such as a school shooting, and when this becomes apart of daily life, when they regularly have to participate in these drills, there will be an impact on their mental health. As these students age into teens and young adults, with access to unlimited information, they start to make decisions about how our society values them. And whereas this process is very unique to each person, I’ve witnessed a disturbingly large number of teens reason that they are not valued by our society. These experiences have caused emotional harm to this generation.
If it were school shootings alone, we might not be seeing such a tremendous impact on the overall mental health of a generation. Unfortunately, gen-z is also very aware of climate change. We have dubbed in Climate Anxiety. Witnesses the lack of action to address climate change from the adults in power has left many children feeling hopeless about their future. Paired with a budding awareness of financial burdens of school loans and low wages I’m hearing kids as young as 11 share their concerns about affording college and being able to live independently kids outlook on their can be quite bleak.
The studies are out and it’s not looking good. According to the CDC’s Youth Risk Survey in 2019, 9% Highschool students have attempted suicide, with 12 % black students, 13% mixed race, 23% LGBTIQ and 26% of native youth reporting having attempted suicide. In the 2020 National Survey of Children’s Health of 3-17 year olds show an increase in anxiety and depression of more than 1.5 million children between 2016-2020. This is not indicative of there being an issue with children and teens not being tough enough, this is indicative of our society not providing a safe and stable environment for them to develop in.
At the same time this generation reports being far more likely to accept and work to address their mental health challenges then pervious generations. Unfortunately there can be issues with gaining access to mental health services. Often times youth run into barriers in finding services. Things like family bias and lack of local services can be huge obstacles to overcome.
When youth have access to mental health treatment, a safe home life, and community supports they have the potential to be highly resilient. Even one safe and accepting adult in the life of a child or teen can mean the difference between life and death.
One of the reasons I got into this specialty is because I wanted to be the kind of adult I needed when I was a kid struggling with depression, anxiety, and learning disabilities. I encourage us all to reflect on what we needed as a child, teen, and even young adult. Then see what you can do to offer that to a young person in your life.
