World Mental Health Day: New Study on Young Adult Stress

World Mental Health Day

I know in my practice the biggest decison a young adult must make is about their future after high school. But what I also know is only about 10% of kids have any type of "formal career exploration or aptitude testing" to help them make informed decisions about college, or after high school life. It is an investment in their future and mental health and I'm passionate about helping them eliminate stress and anxiety!

World Mental Health Day (10 October) is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries. This day, each October, thousands of supporters come to celebrate this annual awareness program to bring attention to mental illness and its major effects on people's lives worldwide.

A new study from Common Sense Media, Harvard's Center for Digital Thriving, and Indiana University, finds teenagers are facing worries about grades, looking good, getting into college and having the perfect social life — and it's all leading to troubling rates of burnout. "Unpacking Grind Culture in American Teens: Pressure, Burnout, and the Role of Social Media" shows that a majority (81%) of American teens reported feeling negative pressure with achievement, appearance, and having a game plan for the future being the most common sources of distress.

Key findings from the report include:

• More than one quarter (27%) of teens are struggling with burnout.

• The six types of pressure that the survey explored are:

  • Game Plan: 56% of American teens feel pressure to have their future life path figured out (e.g. college, career, relationships).

  • Achievement: 53% of teens feel pressure to be exceptional and impressive through their achievements (e.g. honors classes, good grades, jobs).

  • Appearance: 51% of teens feel pressure to look their best or present themselves in a certain way (e.g. follow trends, have a certain body type).

  • Social Life: 44% feel pressure related to having an active and visible social life (e.g. hanging out with friends, going to social events).

  • Friendship: 41% feel pressure to stay available and be supportive to friends (e.g. respond to texts/social media from friends right away).

  • Activism: 32% feel pressure to do good for their community or the world, or to be informed about different issues (e.g. supporting or giving money to causes, keeping up with the news).

• Almost 8 in 10 teens say social media at least sometimes increases the pressure to look their best or present themselves in a certain way. The apps teens most often named as contributing to this pressure are TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.

• At the same time, many teens (39-53%) say that social media at least sometimes decreases each pressure.

• Importantly, teens also point to other major contributors to pressure, which can come especially from themselves, parents, family members, and school.

• Girls and nonbinary teens (compared to boys) and LGBTQ+ teens (compared to cisgender and non-LGBTQ+ teens) report greater feelings of pressure in every category.

• Gaming has emerged as a tool young people use to release pressure. Almost 80% of teens report gaming with others, and 1 in 4 said gaming helps reduce pressures.

• Teens who engage in self-care activities (e.g., getting enough exercise and sleep) report lower burnout. Older teens practice less self-care and experience more burnout.

• Approximately one in ten teens report never getting 7 or more hours of sleep (9%) or at least one hour of physical activity (13%) in the last week.

Reeder Consulting: College and Career Paths is a specialist in the career development field and the number one career counseling company in San Antonio, TX working with clients in all 50 states. We help individuals engage in career and aptitude testing to process information through meaningful conversations and give clarity to the stress of career decisions to Proceed with Confidence. www.reederconsulting.com