Gen Zers may disagree on a lot of things: if dating apps are worth it, if The Tortured Poets Department is actually good or not, or if influencer culture is getting way out of hand. However, there is one thing that a majority of Gen Z can agree on, and it’s that mental health matters.
In the age of social media, political turmoil, and worldwide unrest (as well as adjusting to life post-COVID), Gen Z has taken the topic of mental health from an overlooked taboo to the forefront. After years of shying away from the conversation surrounding mental health, Gen Z is more willing than ever to end the stigma and empower meaningful, productive conversations around it.
With the conversation surrounding mental health growing in popularity, Her Campus wanted to give Gen Zers the opportunity to open up about the current state of their mental health, the factors that contribute to it, and why it’s important to them and their generation. In March and April 2024, Her Campus conducted a 580-person survey to learn more about the overall mental health of Generation Z. Here’s what they said.
How Gen Z views their mental health currently
In Her Campus’ 2024 Mental Health survey, we asked our respondents to evaluate their mental health and rate it on a scale of 1 (horrible) to 10 (excellent). While some participants rated their mental health as low as 1 and as high as 10 — 3% and 8%, respectively — the average score was 6.22, which puts Gen Zers in a grey, confused area when it comes to how they feel about their mental health. And while the most popular answers trended from 5 to 8, nearly 1 out of 3 participants gave themselves a score of 5 or lower.
Additionally, thanks to the endless ease and popularity of online self-diagnosis, 72% of participants believe that they have a mental health condition. However, 53% of those participants reported that they have not been diagnosed by a mental health professional. While self-diagnosing can inspire some people to seek out professional help, it can also lead to misinterpretation and misinformation.
The most common mental health conditions reported by the Gen Zers are anxiety (83%), depression (56%), ADD/ADHD (30%) and eating disorders (22%).
Out of those who have been diagnosed by a professional (47%), 69% said that they received their formal diagnoses from some combination of a counselor/therapist, psychiatrist (50%), primary care physician (46%), and/or another medical professional (5%).
But when it comes to mental health, Gen Z experiences more than just bad days. Anxiety (83%) and depression (56%) were among the most frequent mental health conditions reported by Gen Z as well as ADD/ADHD (30%), eating disorders (22%), and post-traumatic stress disorder (15%).
When asked, in a word, how Gen Z would describe their mental health, their answers varied, but “fluctuating,” “confusing,” and “unstable” were among some of the most common responses.
What impacts Gen Z’s mental health
There are a variety of factors that help, and hurt, the mental health and well-being of Gen Zers. 74% of Gen Zers said that their friendships contribute to improving their mental health, as well as skincare/haircare routine (61%), family relationships (59%), and outdoor access (52%).
But just as there are factors that build up mental health, there are also things that bring it down. 52% of respondents said that their school and/or work contribute negatively to their mental health, 45% said social media, and 43% reported that their financial security is burdensome to their mental health.
Social media’s impact on Gen Z’s mental health is complicated
As the generation who grew up with internet access at their fingertips, Gen Z is able to recognize the benefits and drawbacks of social media when it comes to their mental health. And while 45% of Gen Zers said that social media, overall, impacts their mental health negatively, their actual relationship with social media is a little more complicated.
Many Gen Zers shared that social media is a negative factor in their mental health — many of our respondents said that social media leads them to compare themselves to influencers, celebrities, and peers. However, others stated in their open-ended responses that social media helps them to build a community online, and gives them a space to explore their interests and hobbies.
One respondent said, “Social media impacts me both negatively and positively. I try to be intentional about what accounts I follow and if they make me feel bad I will unfollow. However, they also help me feel connected and inspired.” Similarly, another respondent wrote, “I would say [social media] can be both a blessing and a curse. I like social media because it helps me feel accomplished. On the other hand, social media can be draining,” noting their awareness that the constant validation tools on apps — like likes and comments — don’t amount to more self-worth. However, that same respondent said, “I have a bad habit of scrolling continuously and making myself feel worse because I am not doing something productive.”
45% of Gen Zers report spending 4-6 hours per day on social media.
How Gen Z finds support for their mental health
When it comes to mental health, one of the most important things to know is that you aren’t alone. (And if you feel that way, Her Campus recommends checking out the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website for quick, online resources, or reaching out to a trusted friend or family member.) As for the Gen Z survey respondents, most said their friends and family (60%) and mental health professionals (53%) are the most common ways they find support for their mental health. Additionally, nearly 1 in 3 respondents said that they strongly prefer in-person therapy, as opposed to online.
Unfortunately, mental health services aren’t free to all. About half (54%) of participants said their mental health services are covered by insurance, but that they pay, on average, $7 out of pocket for therapy/mental health resources per session or use (some pay as little as $0 but some pay up to $200 for support).
On college campuses, 71% of Gen Zers report that their school has some form of a campus counseling center. Other campus tools such as meditation and yoga (57%), self-help resources (52%), and crisis support (48%) are popular on college campuses as well.
If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website, or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357). In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or call 911.