A generational concern: declining mental health among babies born in the 1990s

According to new research, those born in the 1990s have worse mental health than people born in earlier generations did at the same age.

In contrast to previous generations, so-called “90s babies,” which comprise the youngest millennials and the oldest members of Gen Z, have not demonstrated improvements in mental health as they have aged, according to a study released on Monday.

For years, developed countries have seen a decline in population-level trends in mental health. According to a Gallup poll, the percentage of Americans who have received treatment for depression at some point in their lives has increased from 19.6% in 2015 to 29% this year.

However, the new study highlights specific issues with adults who are getting close to middle age in terms of their mental health.

“That’s a very difficult question to answer,” said Nick Glozier, a psychiatrist and researcher at the University of Sydney. “But what we are looking for is a shared experience that is likely to have impacted all generations … at that time, be it in different ways, with young people the most affected.”

The KFF researchers identified a number of potential causes, including school closures due to pandemic-related closures, job and income loss, and remote work, for the higher rates of mental health conditions among younger adults. The Australian study’s researchers proposed the following causes: poor sleep patterns, low levels of physical activity, the rise of social media, and climate change.

“Understanding the context and changes in society that have differently affected young people may inform efforts to ameliorate this trend and prevent it from continuing for emerging cohorts,” the authors wrote in the study.

From 2001 to 2020, Australian researchers at the University of Sydney monitored the mental health of close to 30,000 adults. They discovered that those who were born in the 1990s and, to a lesser extent, those who were born in the 1980s—which includes the oldest members of the millennial generation—showed the greatest declines in mental health. There was scant evidence indicating a decline in mental health among those born prior to the 1980s.

According to researchers, this shows that millennials are primarily responsible for the general population’s decline in mental health.

“Much of the focus to date has been on the declining mental health of school-aged children and adolescents, where we expect their mental health to eventually improve as they enter adulthood,” said lead study author Richard Morris, a senior research fellow at the University of Sydney. “But this study shows this pattern is changing and that it is not just the kids we need to worry about.”

Even though the most recent research is centered on Australians, the United States is also facing issues related to mental health. In a June report, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that nearly 1 in 5 adults had received a diagnosis of depression at some point in their lives. The age group of 18 to 24 had the highest rate of depression.

What then is the cause of young adults’ declining mental health?

“That’s a very difficult question to answer,” said Nick Glozier, a psychiatrist and researcher at the University of Sydney. “But what we are looking for is a shared experience that is likely to have impacted all generations … at that time, be it in different ways, with young people the most affected.” 

The KFF researchers identified a number of potential causes, including school closures due to pandemic-related closures, job and income loss, and remote work, for the higher rates of mental health conditions among younger adults. The Australian study’s researchers proposed the following causes: poor sleep patterns, low levels of physical activity, the rise of social media, and climate change.