The first signs of a problem started to emerge around 2014: More young people said they felt overwhelmed and depressed in national surveys. College counseling centers reported sharp increases in the number of students seeking treatment for #mentalhealthissues. At the same time, some researchers called the concerns overblown and claimed there simply wasn’t enough good data to conclude that a serious problem existed. The idea that there’s an epidemic in #anxiety or #depression among youth “is simply a myth,” psychiatrist Richard Friedman wrote in The New York Times in 2018. Others suggested young people were simply more willing to get help when they needed it, or that counseling centers’ outreach efforts were becoming more effective.
#JamesDonaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
All Too Real
But a new analysis my colleagues and I conducted of a large representative screening survey—published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology—reinforces what I and others have been saying: The epidemic is all too real. In fact, the increase in #mentalhealthissues among #teens and young adults is nothing short of staggering. From 2009 to 2017, major #depression among 20- to 21-year-olds more than doubled, rising from 7% to 15%. #Depression surged 69% among 16- to 17-year-olds. Serious psychological distress, which includes feelings of #anxiety and hopelessness, jumped 71% among 18- to 25-year-olds from 2008 to 2017. Twice as many 22- to 23-year-olds attempted #suicide in 2017 compared with cohorts in 2008, and 55% more had suicidal thoughts. The increases were more pronounced among #girls and young #women. By 2017, one out of five 12- to 17-year-old girls had experienced major #depression in the previous year.
#Suicide
Is it possible that young people simply became more willing to admit to #mentalhealth problems? We tried to address this possibility by analyzing data on actual #suicide rates. #Suicide is a behavior, so changes in #suicide rates can’t be caused by more willingness to admit to issues.
Tragically, #suicide also jumped during the period. For example, the #suicide rate among 18- to 19-year-olds climbed 56% from 2008 to 2017. Other behaviors related to depression have also increased, including emergency department admissions for self-harm, such as cutting and hospital admissions for suicidal thoughts and #suicide attempts.
The large increases in #mentalhealthissues in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health appeared almost exclusively among teens and young adults, with less change among Americans age 26 and older. Even after statistically controlling for the influences of age and year, we found that #depression, distress, and suicidal thoughts were much higher among those born in the mid- to late-1990s, the generation I call iGen.
Is Tech to Blame?
The #mentalhealth crisis seems to be a generational issue, not something that affects Americans of all ages. And that, more than anything else, might help researchers figure out why it’s happening.
It’s always difficult to determine the causes behind trends, but some possibilities seem less likely than others. A troubled economy and job loss, two typical culprits of #mental #stress, don’t appear to be to blame. That’s because US economic growth was strong and the unemployment rate dropped significantly from 2011 to 2017, when #mentalhealthissues were rising the most. It’s unlikely that academic pressure was the cause, as iGen teens spent less time on homework on average than #teens did in the 1990s. Although the increase in #mentalhealthissues occurred around the same time as the opioid epidemic, that crisis seemed to almost exclusively affect adults older than 25.
But there was one societal shift over the past decade that influenced the lives of today’s teens and young adults more than any other generation: the spread of smartphones and digital media like #socialmedia, texting and gaming. While older people use these technologies as well, younger people adopted them more quickly and completely, and the impact on their social lives was more pronounced. In fact, it has drastically restructured their daily lives.
Compared with their predecessors, #teens today spend less time with their friends in person and more time communicating electronically, which study after study has found is associated with #mentalhealthissues.
No matter the cause, the rise in #mentalhealthissues among #teens and young adults deserves attention, not a dismissal as a “myth.” With more young people suffering—including more attempting #suicide and more actually taking their own lives—the #mentalhealth crisis among American young people can no longer be ignored.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
