At a time when the awareness around mental health is rising, especially in the post covid era, a recent study has further indicated that mental health crisis is also turning into a harder struggle for the younger generation.
In a startling reversal from historical wellness trends, young people in the U.K. are now more likely to call in sick than elderly Gen Xers who are 20 years their senior due to a concerning rise in the number of them reporting mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
According to research conducted by the think tank Resolution Foundation (RF), the growing mental health crisis is starting to have a significant effect on the career prospects of Gen Z employees, as per Fortune report.?
According to RF research, over one-third of young people between the ages of 18 and 24 have a "common mental disorder" (CMD), which includes conditions like bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety. This number is significantly higher than the 24% of youth who had a CMD in 2000.
The surge has been "turbocharged" by a female mental health crisis. Compared to 25% of men, 2 out of 5 women in the UK are likely to report having a CMD.
The reasons for this increase are theoretically explained by a variety of factors, such as the elimination of essential public services or the decline in stigma associated with discussing mental health, but the practical effects of an increase in cases of poor mental health are undeniable.?
According to the analysis, during the past ten years, the proportion of young people missing work due to illness has doubled.
The impacts on the results of work are starting to show. Individuals experiencing mental health challenges are more likely than their healthier counterparts to be employed in low-paying positions.
For policymakers, the most concerning aspect of that trend is the unprecedented generational dynamics it is generating. For instance, compared to those who are 20 years older, younger people are now more likely to miss work due to illness.?
The generational gap is causing divisions in the workplace that are detrimental to output. According to a study conducted by the London School of Economics and consulting firm Protiviti, over 33% of Gen Z workers believed they were not productive.
The researchers concluded that a breakdown in communication between younger employees and their more senior managers was the root cause of this low productivity.
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The British economy is being impacted as well. Poor mental health was causing Gen X and millennial workers to miss the equivalent of one workday per week, according to research from health insurer Vitality. According to Vitality, this costs the British economy $176 billion ($138 billion) annually, the report mentioned.
Researchers mentioned that it is concerning that young people in their early 20s, who are just starting their adult lives, are more likely than those in their early 40s to be unemployed due to illness. Youth unemployment as a result of illness is a real and growing trend.?
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