Why is 42% of Gen Z Diagnosed with a Mental Illness?
A study recently released by Harmony Healthcare IT found that 42% of Generation Z have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, out of which 1 in 4 received their diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, 57% of Gen Z’ers with a mental health condition are currently taking medication, and those who are no longer on their parent’s insurance are spending an average of $44 per month for prescription drug treatments.
“The biggest mental health issue Gen Z deals with is anxiety. Nine out of ten Gen Z with diagnosed mental health conditions struggle with anxiety, and nearly eight out of ten (78%) are battling depression.
Other mental health conditions the generation faces are ADHD (27%), PTSD (20%), and OCD (17%).”
Harmony Healthcare IT study
This mental health epidemic isn’t being talked about nearly enough, but the main question raised is who, or what, is to blame for the dramatic generational increase in mental health conditions?
The answer is incredibly multifaceted, and is the culmination of numerous societal changes over time.
Education:
Approximately 90% of children in the United States attend tax-payer funded public schools. Generation Z is, according to Pew Research, is “on track” to becoming the “most educated” generation in history. Unfortunately, this does not mean the most intelligent generation.
Testing scores have not only fallen substantially nationwide, but the standards are increasingly lowered in an effort to be more inclusive and “diverse.” Public education institutions have focused more on indoctrinating students into the leftist ideological cult than they are on passing down valuable information. Students are told that our country was founded by racist men, who stole this land,. Starting at the youngest ages possible they are already instructed to feel guilty for the supposed sins of their ancestors.
Parents who want to be involved in their students education, or lack thereof, are dubbed “domestic terrorist threats” for simply asking questions. Children enrolled in this conveyer belt are none the wiser, and are likely to believe whatever information is presented to them in a classroom setting, regardless of objective truth or historical reality.
Case and point:
Environmental, Manufactured Substance Factors:
According to CDC data, “Overdose deaths were up about 15% between 2020 and 2021, compared with a 30% jump between 2019 and 2020.” Drug use for ages 19-30 also increased during that time frame, having significant developmental consequences for users. Higher drug use is mainly associated with COVID-19 lockdowns. The negative dialogue used during this time left a significant number of people feeling isolated and hopeless.
“In 2020 and 2021, teachers pretended that a return to in-person classes meant a certain death sentence, and mainstream media kept a death toll up for months on end, it is no surprise that this lead to feelings of helplessness and depression among younger individuals.”
TPUSA
The Harmony Healthcare IT study also found that 85% of Gen Z’ers are worried about the future. The endless “doom and gloom” messaging mainly propagated by the political left, (e.g., “climate change will cause the world to end in 10 years”) has been pushed on Gen Z practically from birth, which in turn impacts their outlook on life and their own future.
Additionally, manufactured substances and chemicals infused into our diets, clothing, cleaning products, cosmetics, and more are causing severe effects on the overall health of Americans as a whole.
“Several lines of evidence suggest that exposure to [endocrine-disrupting chemicals] is associated with depression and could result in neural degeneration.”
“Among these pollutants are dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, brominated flame retardants, plasticizers (bisphenol A, nonylphenol, and phthalates) as well as personal care products and drugs.”
National Library of Medicine
Restructuring of the Family:
“According to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data, about three-in-ten (29%) live in a household with an unmarried parent.”
Pew Research
Marriage rates in the United States have declined dramatically, just 49% of households in America consisted of married couples, while the rates of unmarried individuals cohabiting with one another has steadily increased over time.
Children who grow up in single-parent households, and more specifically fatherless homes, are much more likely to suffer from mental health conditions, exhibit higher levels of aggression, are more likely to be incarcerated, and so much more. The negative impacts of allowing marriage rates to not only plummet, but allowed families to be split apart around the country cannot be overstated.
There are a number of contributing factors that have lead to a massive portion of Generation Z developing mental illnesses, it is incredibly difficult to pin point the root cause. But it is safe to assume that the culture growing increasingly distant from morality and virtue, our refusal to conserve the nuclear family, and the constant news cycles bombarding Americans with negativity 24 hours a day, aren’t really helping. This is why conservative ideals and principals could be incredibly beneficial to Generation Z, that is, if we can get the messaging right moving forward.
