Mental Health Issues On the Rise Among Adolescents, Young Adults
Mental health problems are on the rise among adolescents and young adults, and social media may be a driver behind the increase. According to a new study, published by the American Psychological Association, rates of mood disorders and suicide-related outcomes have increased significantly over the last decade among these age groups, impacting females and those who are wealthier, in particular. With increases in mental health problems concentrated among adolescents and young adults, “the results suggest that cultural trends in the last 10 years may have had a larger effect on mood disorders and suicide-related outcomes among younger people compared with older people,” according to the researchers. Drawing on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the researchers of the study assessed data of 212,913 adolescents aged 12 to 17 from 2005 through 2017 and 398,967 adults aged 18 and older from 2008 through 2017. Between 2008 and 2017, the number of adults that experienced serious ...